


Blood Moon (2005)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Anal Sex, Blood, Blow Jobs, Denial of Feelings, Future Fic, M/M, Seduction, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-23
Updated: 2005-10-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 20:10:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1360204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaiba Seto has always believed himself to be above the rest of the world, not needing to heed his heart's darkest desires. But, after he becomes the target of a mysterious assailant, he quickly learns that not even he is untouchable, and he now must turn to the most unlikely ally as he tries to adjust to his new situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Blood. Everywhere around him was blood. Glistening, crimson rivulets poured from the two small wounds in his neck, and as he felt his consciousness slipping away, he could feel himself being picked up gently by a pair of strong arms and moved to a waiting vehicle. He tried to make his blue eyes focus enough to see who it was that had rescued him, but all he could make out in his haze was a black leather coat. He tried to give his thanks to his saviour, but only managed a weak groan as his head slipped to the side, coming to rest against the coolness of the jacket. Before he drifted completely into unconsciousness, he was suddenly filled with a sense of contentment and peace – somehow, he knew that things were going to turn out ok.

* * *

It had been a miserable November day. The sky had been overcast, and the dismal, grey clouds had issued a steady stream of cold drizzle mixed with sleet for the majority of the afternoon. The gloomy weather had brought nightfall earlier than normal, and by six o'clock that evening, it was pitch black.

As Kaiba Seto entered the lobby of KaibaCorp Tower, he shook out his umbrella and strode purposefully to the elevator, hitting the button for the top floor. He stepped into the car, and while he waited for it to make its ascent, he wondered idly to himself how many of the shareholders would make the meeting. After he had taken control of the company from Gozaburo, he had insisted that the stock remain privately traded, and so, save for Mokuba and him, there were only a dozen individuals who had any say. It was a dozen more than he would have preferred, but since he held the majority of the shares, he didn't really concern himself with their opinions anyway. However, he was legally obligated to hold meetings at least quarterly, and these usually consisted of Kaiba telling everyone what he was planning while they simply nodded in agreement like a bunch of sheep.

The elevator doors opened, and he could see one of his secretaries, Kimo Ayumi, working feverishly at her desk. She was the most junior, and therefore, she was usually assigned to work the afternoon shifts. Of all of them, she was the one he knew the best, since he saw her most frequently. From his dealings with her, Kaiba found that she was very thorough and efficient, but mousy. On more than one occasion, he had sent her scurrying to the bathroom in a fit of tears because of something he'd said to her in a moment of anger. He adamantly refused to coddle his employees who were `overly sensitive', but he did make an effort to watch what he said around her – only because she worked hard and had earned his respect.

"Good evening, Ayumi," he said crisply as he crossed the gleaming marble floor, glancing briefly at his watch and noting he had only five minutes before the meeting began. "I trust that you've had the reports I asked for printed and delivered to the board room?"

"Yes, Kaiba-sama," the young woman said softly. "Everything has been prepared as you asked. But there's something you need to know before –"

"Later, Ayumi," he responded as he shrugged out of his long, midnight blue wool trench and hung it on the coat rack. "I'm late as it is."

"But Kaiba-sama, I think –"

"What did I say?" he interrupted again, his dark sapphire eyes narrowing as he stared down the young woman. He saw her bow her head submissively, and it was then that he knew he'd receive no further protest. He made his way down a short corridor, mentally going over his agenda. Kaiba stood outside the heavy oak door for a moment to compose himself, and when he was satisfied that he had his best game face on, he stepped inside. As he looked around the conference room, he frowned. The lights were dimmed to a stand-by level, and the room was strangely silent. The other shareholders _should_ have been there by now; it wasn't like them to be late. Now, as he glanced around the empty room, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. He _knew_ he hadn't gotten the date wrong; besides, Ayumi had laid everything out for the meeting. Whatever was going on, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Irritably, he picked up the telephone that hung on the wall and dialled his secretary. "Ayumi, where the hell is everyone?" he demanded shortly, not bothering to camouflage his obvious impatience with the whole situation.

"Kaiba-sama, he's in there. I showed him to the conference room myself not ten minutes ago. I –"

Again, Kaiba cut her off, this time by hanging up the receiver. `He?' he puzzled as his eyes once more scanned the empty room. "Hello?" he called out, a petulant frown creasing his brow. If this was some sort of prank, heads would roll…

"You know, she tried to tell you I was here, but you were being a stuck-up asshole again," an all-too-familiar voice replied.

"Jounouchi," the brunet hissed as he caught a movement in his peripheral vision, and turning his attention to the far end of the table, he saw one of the high-backed executive chairs swivel around to face him. Kaiba scowled as he saw the blond sitting there, his legs crossed at the knee, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, his fingers tented pensively in front of him. Jou was dressed in a black, double-breasted suit, heather grey shirt and charcoal tie, which even from across the room Kaiba knew was a designer label, and he was sporting the most maddening grin the brunet had ever seen. "Nice suit," he sneered, although he did have to admit that the blond looked quite fetching.

"Yeah? You think so?" Jou beamed as he brushed his lapel and smoothed out his jacket with his hands. "I got it special for the occasion."

Kaiba gave his head a brief shake as if to mentally centre himself and to force the conversation back to the topic at hand. "What the hell are you doing here, Jounouchi?"

"What the hell does it look like?" he replied offhandedly. "I'm attending the shareholder's meeting."

The brunet snorted derisively. "Funny. And here I'd always thought you to be a brainless idiot lacking a sense of humour. Seriously, I don't have time for this right now; I need to make some telephone calls and find out where everyone is."

Jou looked around the room and replied conversationally, "Well, according to _my_ math, the only one missing is Mokuba, and he never comes to these, does he?"

"I see," Kaiba replied coolly. "And just how do you figure that?"

"Well, you own fifty-one percent and Mokuba owns twenty-five percent of the stock, ne? Now correct me if I'm wrong – math never was my strongest subject – but I think that leaves twenty-four percent, all of which belongs to me." Jou smirked in smug satisfaction as he watched the disbelieving expression cross the brunet's face. He could see the anger slowly building within the taller man, and he knew he wouldn't have to wait long for an explosion.

"Impossible!" Kaiba seethed. "Explain to me how a nobody like you could buy up such a large quantity of privately traded shares! And in secret no less! You'd have had to get them directly from the other shareholders! What are you trying to do here, Jounouchi?"

Jou's smirk widened as he thought back to exactly how he'd acquired said shares. Even now, he still felt a small tingle of pleasure as he thought back to those two weeks. Locking his gaze with Kaiba's, he waved his hand airily and replied cryptically, "Oh, I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and before you know it, I was a shareholder. As for why…" The blond rose from his chair and slowly made his way across the room to where Kaiba stood, his gaze never wavering for an instant. When he was directly in front of the brunet, he purred, "Let's just say I have `personal motivations' for doing so." He trailed a finger down the front of Kaiba's suit jacket, and then pressed his finger lightly against the tip of the brunet's nose, all the while grinning mischievously.

As the blond moved even closer into his personal space, Kaiba found himself inexplicably drawn to Jou's eyes, and as he stared into the swirling amber depths, he felt a strange buzzing sensation in his body, suddenly not feeling quite in full control of himself. With every ounce of strength he possessed, he forced himself to blink, to look away as he cleared his throat and sat down in his chair at the head of the table. "Fine then, let's get this done with so I don't have to see you for another quarter. As you may or may not know, it's my intention to buy out the Black Crown, assimilate it into KaibaCorp, and then sell it off –"

"That's Otogi's company, ne?" Jou interrupted, settling himself into the chair adjacent to Kaiba and scooting nearer to the brunet.

"Yes it is," Kaiba responded tersely, a scowl crossing his lips at the audacity of Jou's interruption. "Anyway, as I was saying, once we have merged, we'll keep the parts we want and the rest we can sell off to the highest bidders. Of course, Otogi's fighting us every step of the way. He seems to think if he holds his ground and wears us down, he can buy us out and do the same thing to KaibaCorp…what the hell are you doing?"

Jounouchi had stood up and slid around the corner of the table to lean against the dark mahogany. With the grace of a cat, he pushed himself up onto the polished wood and slid backwards so the backs of his knees were resting against the table edge, and then, as he once again captured Kaiba's eyes with his own, he dragged the brunet's chair closer to him, setting his feet on either side of Kaiba's legs. With a smirk, he leaned forward and whispered in the brunet's ear, "I really don't give a shit about any of this. I just wanted you all to myself tonight…Seto." As he purred out the name, he slowly trailed his tongue around the shell of Kaiba's ear, suckling briefly on the lobe before sitting back and gazing sensually at the young CEO.

For a moment, Kaiba was frozen in place by the sultry timbre of Jou's voice, and when he'd been touched in such an erotic manner, it was all the brunet could do to not give a small moan of delight. Quickly, he regained his faculties, and pushing himself away from the table, he narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Since when are you and I on a first name basis?"

Jou merely smiled, his eyes dark with need. "Since I found out you wanted me…Seto."

Again, the brunet couldn't help the shiver of pleasure he felt at hearing his name spoken in the blond's soft alto. And, despite the partial truth to Jou's statement, he couldn't hold back the harsh bark of laughter that spilled from his lips. "In your dreams!" he scoffed.

"Oh no, in reality," Jou murmured as he slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket and let it slip from his shoulders, folding it up and setting it on the edge of the table. "You see Seto," he continued as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled his sleeves partway up his forearm, "I know more about you than you realize. I know what you think and what you feel. Come back over here and I'll prove it."

"Cut it out, Jounouchi," Kaiba growled as he glared at the blond. "I don't care if you are a shareholder; you have no right to speak to me that way."

"In what way?" Jou asked innocently as he leisurely slipped his tie from around his neck.

"Like you don't know! I don't like you; hell, I barely tolerate you as it is. So stop trying to pick me up."

The blond's eyes sparkled in amusement. "You think I'm trying to seduce you? Jesus Christ, Seto, if that's all it takes to get your motor running, you're in serious trouble. I'm still playing; I haven't even begun to _try_. But, if you insist…" He undid the top two buttons of his silk dress shirt and gracefully hopped off the conference table. "There, that's much better," he purred as he began to slowly close the distance between himself and the brunet. His golden eyes were smoky with desire as he met Kaiba's sapphire eyes and stared deep within them, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Once again, Kaiba felt that strange buzzing feeling spreading through his body as he looked into Jou's eyes. "I um…I can call security and have them, uh…have them remove you from the premises," the brunet stammered, his gaze momentarily dropping down to peek into the blond's opened collar, and then returning to his eyes. Kaiba felt like he was floating out of his body, and he suddenly felt very, _very_ good.

"Sure you could," Jou said as he straddled the brunet's hips and settled himself into Kaiba's lap. "But you won't," he added, deliberately dropping his voice an octave and whispering the words against the brunet's mouth as he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck. "In fact, I'd wager all my shares right here and now that you don't want me to go. Prove me wrong, Seto…Call your security guards, and you'll be rid of me for good."

At this, Kaiba tensed. This was his one opportunity, yet he couldn't bring himself to actually move and make the call. He became unmistakably aware of the weight in his lap that was pressing against his groin and the cool, slim fingers that were toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. He could feel himself becoming aroused by the sensual touch he'd craved for so long, but he forced his expression to remain impassive, his hands white-knuckled as they gripped the arms of his chair.

"You know, it's ok for you to touch me, too. I really wouldn't mind one bit," Jou murmured as he nuzzled against the brunet's cheek, his fingers now trailing along Kaiba's throat, jaw line and ears. "It's hard to believe it's been five years since we've finished high school. God, I've missed you." He dipped his head lower and dragged his tongue along the tender flesh of the brunet's throat, a low, hungry growl escaping from his lips as he brushed across Kaiba's pulse point with his mouth. "I know you've missed me, too. Despite the way you maintain your prickish attitude and look at me like you couldn't care less, your body tells me a whole other story." At this, the blond sat slightly back from the other and allowed his hands to roam across the toned expanse of the brunet's chest and abdomen, finally dropping them low enough to palm the hard, massive bulge hidden in Kaiba's trousers. Settling once again into the brunet's chest and continuing to massage the heated flesh, Jou whispered, "So, why don't you cut the bullshit and submit to me? You know I want you, and you obviously want me."

Kaiba's eyes were glazed over with unspoken lust and he gave the smallest, barely perceptible, nod of his head. His thoughts felt disjointed and fuzzy as he concentrated only on the indescribable sensations he was experiencing as the blond in his lap continued to caress his most sensitive area. When Jou shifted his position slightly to once again wrap his arms around Kaiba's neck, and the brunet felt the blond's own arousal press against his belly, he was unable to hold back the small moan that escaped through his parted lips.

"Jesus, you're beautiful," Jou breathed as he brought his mouth once more to within a hair's breadth of the brunet's. "The way your cheeks are flushed as you cling to the last of your self-control, the way your lips turn down in that most delicious, kissable pout, and your eyes; God, Seto, now that I've got your defences down, I can see that they're a kaleidoscope of blues." He grabbed onto Kaiba's tie, carefully loosening the perfectly formed Windsor knot before tossing the navy blue silk strip to the carpet. Jou's fingers slipped around to the brunet's collar, and began undoing the small buttons on the crisply starched grey-blue shirt. He went down as far as Kaiba's abdomen before he was stopped by the still-fastened midnight-blue suit jacket. With a small whimper of frustration, he pushed the fabric away from the brunet's well-defined chest and bent lower to kiss the smooth pecs, his tongue lightly swirling around each pert, pink nipple in turn and drawing a long, needy groan from Kaiba. "Christ, Seto, your scent is driving me insane, and your skin feels like fire against mine. I want to taste you – just a taste, I promise."

Kaiba felt as if his brain was in a fog. He was vaguely aware of Jou's words, his consciousness focused solely on the pleasure the blond's touch was instilling in him. When the sultry mouth brushed once again across his own, his lips parted slightly, and through half-lidded eyes, he met Jou's gaze. "What have you done to me?" he murmured. "Did you drug me?"

"No, Seto," Jou whispered as he pressed another soft kiss to the brunet's lips, and then cupped Kaiba's cheeks in his palms. "I've only given you what you've asked for; what your heart cries out for. Soon, you'll belong to me, and then I'll give you everything you desire from me." He stared intently into the brunet's face, his eyes burning with an unspoken passion, the golden irises seeming to dance with an ethereal fire. "I love you," he murmured as he lowered his mouth to Kaiba's, his kiss both sensual and needy as he pressed his tongue past the brunet's lips.

Kaiba gasped in surprise at the intrusion, but quickly overcame his shock and began to hungrily lap and tease the invading muscle. He loosed a small groan and, finally, his hands slipped from the arm of his chair to drape easily across the blond's hips, his fingers caressing the strong, defined muscles of his back. The brunet succumbed willingly to Jou's embrace, his breath coming in heavy pants as the blond ravaged his mouth. He felt a sharp sting of pain, and when he tasted the salty, coppery tang of blood in his mouth, he surmised that Jou must have bitten his lip. Kaiba tried to discretely pull away, but the shorter man only pressed his mouth harder to his.

At the first taste of the crimson vitae, Jou growled long and low into the brunet's mouth, his tongue eagerly licking at the sweet essence. He could feel his head beginning to swoon, his instincts telling him to take more, to glut himself on the ambrosia that was Kaiba Seto's blood. With every fibre of his being, he warred against himself and reluctantly pulled away, his tongue running across his bottom lip, searching for just one more drop of the scarlet fluid. His chest heaving, he leaned his forehead against the brunet's and rasped, "I promised you it would just be a taste. But God, how I want more; you're so hot and sweet and delicious." He smiled breathlessly at Kaiba and purred, "And now, I've claimed you as mine. No matter what, we'll always share an unbreakable bond. I'll explain it to you some night when we have more time. Right now, I'm going to give you what you want most of all." With cat-like grace, he slid out of Kaiba's lap and pulled the brunet to his feet, quickly unbuttoning his jacket and then taking care of the remaining shirt buttons. Licking his lips, he pushed the garments off of Kaiba's shoulders and stared unabashedly at the half-naked form before him. With a now-unobstructed path, he skated his fingers across the smooth, taut flesh of the brunet's torso, his fingernails digging in slightly and leaving pleasantly heated red welts across the otherwise unblemished skin.

Kaiba's eyes slid closed and he hissed in pleasure as he felt dizzy with ecstasy and pressed himself into the blond's arms. He heard Jou's deep chuckle rumble against his throat, the vibrations causing a shiver to travel down his spine. For a brief moment, the brunet wondered when he had lost command of the situation _and_ his traitorous body, and had willingly put himself at Jounouchi's mercy. That was not like him at all; he knew he needed to get things back under control, for Kaiba Seto was nobody's toy. Then he felt Jou's hands on his belt, and all rational though was once again lost.

"Step out of your shoes," Jou whispered in Kaiba's ear as he deftly thumbed open the button on the brunet's trousers and lowered the zipper. As soon as Kaiba complied, the blond pushed both boxers and pants down and over slim hips to the floor, and then helped the brunet step out of the remainder of his clothes. Again, his eyes roved across the lithe form in front of him, and he couldn't help the small shudder of delight he felt. "Is that better?" Jou murmured as he wrapped his arms around the taller man, his fingers stroking in random patterns across the small of his back.

"Yes," Kaiba replied, his voice barely audible in his own ears over the hammering of his heart.

"Do you want me to continue loving you?" the blond purred as he rained small, soft kisses across the brunet's shoulders, chest and throat.

`No!' Kaiba wanted to shout. He wanted to tell the blond that he hated being touched by him, hated everything that was being done to him, hated having no control over his body, and hated _him_ , but he was mildly surprised when he whispered an honest, "Yes."

"I'm glad to hear that, my beloved," Jou said gently as his hands dipped lower to caress the brunet's pale ass cheeks, one finger tenderly stroking along his crevasse. After a few moments, he brought his hand up to his mouth to thoroughly lave his fingers with saliva, and then he teasingly circled Kaiba's entrance before pressing two fingers past the tight ring of muscle.

The brunet cried out softly at the intrusion, dropping his face into the crook of Jou's neck as he rode the wave of pain. After a moment he relaxed, feeling Jounouchi gently stretching him and scissoring his fingers within him. His vision went white and he clung tenaciously to the blond's shoulders when Jou brushed against his prostate, his head dropping back in a silent cry of ecstasy.

"Hn, if you liked that, you're going to _love_ what I do next," Jou purred lecherously as he removed his fingers from deep within the brunet and slowly unbuckled his pants. He eased his trousers down enough to free his own rigid length, and he sat himself down in Kaiba's chair. "Come here, Seto," he said as he held out his arm and beckoned to the other. "Let me show you how much I adore you."

Kaiba hesitated for a moment, but when he once again caught Jou's sensual gaze, he moved to stand at the blond's side. His eyes slid closed once more when Jou trailed a finger down his abdomen and along his cock. Already, the head was leaking copious amounts of precome, and when the brunet got a better look at the blond's member, Kaiba knew he himself wouldn't last much longer.

"Don't dwell on it, Seto. I just want you to enjoy yourself…give yourself to me completely." Placing his hands on the brunet's hips, he turned Kaiba around so his back was to him, and carefully pulled him backwards and onto his lap, spreading the brunet's long legs so they rested on either side of his knees. Wrapping one arm around Kaiba's waist, he lifted the taller man up slightly, positioning his cock head at the brunet's opening, and then seating himself fully as he pulled him back into his lap. The blond hissed in ecstasy as he felt the hot tightness of Kaiba's passage, and he rasped, "Fuck, Seto, it's been far too long since I've indulged in this dark pleasure…far too long."

Kaiba felt Jou rest both of his hands on his hips, pressing him down fully onto the blond's shaft, then helping to ease him up and pushing him forcibly back down. He cried out at both the sensation of being filled by Jou's length and the absolute rapture he felt coursing through his body. With every stroke, he moved closer and closer to a state of complete euphoria, the only thought running through his mind was how to prolong this state of complete bliss. Nothing else mattered – not Mokuba, not KaibaCorp, not whether or not someone might see. And then suddenly, he felt like every muscle in his body was tensing, and with a feral cry, he came harder than he ever had in his life, his body trembling as he climaxed.

Jou growled carnally as he felt Kaiba's passage clench around him, and, digging his nails into the soft flesh just above the brunet's hips, he forced his lover down hard onto his cock as he shuddered with his own release, his eyes closed as he loosed a satisfied roar. Once his breathing had returned to normal, he released his grip on Kaiba, delicately lapping at the blood that had gathered under his fingernails. Finished with that task, he gently pushed the brunet from his lap and did up his trousers. He retrieved his jacket from the conference table, and with a smile he said, "Well, that was beyond fun, but I've got to be going now. You were a good fuck, Seto – best I've ever had, in fact. I'm sure I'll be in touch, my beloved." He took a few steps towards the door, and then paused, his hand resting lightly on the handle. Turning back towards Kaiba, he added, almost as an afterthought, "Don't be scared when you see the blood; it's mine." With that, he was gone, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

The brunet stared in disbelief at the closed door as a puzzled expression crossed his face. He was shocked that Jounouchi had just up and left, not even bothering to wait for him to get dressed. `What the hell?' he mused as he hurriedly picked up his pants and started to get dressed. If his secretary were to catch him in such a compromising position, it would be awkward to say the least. He could feel the remnants of Jou's release slowly leaking from his ass, and with a slight grimace, he grabbed a handful of Kleenex from the conference table and wiped at the dampness. Kaiba moved to throw the tissues in the trash, and then froze as his body went numb. The sheets were stained a dark red, and even as he stood there, he could still feel liquid seeping from within him. A small wave of panic rippled through him when he looked down and noticed the puddle of blood that was accumulating on the carpet beneath his feet. It was only about two inches in diameter, but the longer he stood there, the larger it was growing. He grabbed another handful of Kleenex and, wadding it up, tried to soak up more of the scarlet fluid as he picked up the telephone to have his secretary contact his personal physician. As soon as he put it to his ear, he could hear that the line was dead. No longer caring about his modesty, he reached for the door handle. He'd call out to Ayumi from the doorway. He tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. The door had somehow been locked from the _outside_ , and he was trapped. He rapped sharply on the door, knowing that Ayumi would come to investigate if she heard him. After a few moments, he peered through the small panel window and saw that the entire floor was in darkness, save for the room he currently occupied.

He returned to the door, jiggling the handle futilely as he banged agitatedly on the door. His sapphire eyes flicked over to the small panel of glass, and for a moment he thought about finding a way to smash it so he could reach the door handle from the outside, but then he remembered two things. First, on his orders, all of the glass in the building had been replaced with bullet-proof Lexan, and no matter how hard he tried, he'd collapse from fatigue before he managed to break through the window. Second, the door latch was on the far side – even _if_ he managed to break the glass, it would be one hell of a stretch to even reach the handle, let alone open it. Panic started to border on hysteria as Kaiba realized he was trapped in the conference room; he had no way of contacting anyone, no one was around, and at this point, no one knew he was there. His legs began to tremble slightly and he slid down the door to the floor, leaving a bright, crimson smear behind him as he did so. Splaying his legs out in front of him, he called out for security. A little louder, he called out, "Ayumi?" Finally, in a move of complete and total desperation, he rasped, "Jou!"

With a strangled gasp, Kaiba's eyes flew open, a cold sweat breaking out across his body, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. He slowly came to realize that he was in his own bed; his hand was wrapped around his cock, the remnants of his orgasm staining his pyjama bottoms. As his breathing slowed, he could hear the dying echo of his impassioned cry reverberating off his wall. Wiping his hand against his hip, he turned and looked at the clock and saw, with no small amount of surprise, that it was 6:30 am. He dropped his head back onto his pillow, his face contorting into an agonized grimace as the headache came to the forefront of his consciousness, screaming at him with a vengeance. His head was throbbing in time with his pulse and he suddenly felt very nauseous, almost as if he was suffering a severe hangover, but Kaiba had had nothing to drink.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he carefully sat up, feeling the room spin slightly with his change in position. The first thing he was going to do was take something to stave off the jackhammer pistoning into his skull, and then he was going to shower. Hopefully the hot water would calm the insufferable pounding. Kaiba got to his feet, and when, after a few tentative steps, he found he remained more or less upright, he stumbled towards the bathroom. After swallowing a handful of painkillers, he stripped off his pyjama pants and climbed into the shower, feeling infinitely better once the hot spray streamed down his weary body. Quickly, he lathered his hair with shampoo, and then grabbed a soft terrycloth and began to cleanse himself. As he washed his torso, he suddenly gave a small hiss of pain, the soap stinging his sides. Quickly, Kaiba rinsed himself off and stepped onto the bathmat, hurriedly drying off before wrapping the large bath sheet around his hips.

He moved in front of the large mirror, his eyes widening in horror at what he saw. Along each side, just above his hips, was a row of five small gashes splayed out in the formation of a hand. The skin was purpled slightly from the pressure that had been applied, and Kaiba felt sick when he realized that they did, indeed, look like finger marks. `I must have done that to myself when I was dreaming,' he tried to rationalize. But, even as he thought the words, he knew they were wrong. Had he done it to himself, the thumb gashes would have been towards the back of his body, not peeking around his front like these ones were. And, to add to his uncomfortable feeling, the index finger was at the top of the row. There was no way he could have made those marks on himself under any circumstances. His stomach turned. It had been just a dream; nothing more.


	2. Chapter Two

The day was no less cold and grey than it had been all week, but at least the rain had stopped. Kaiba felt no better now than he had when he'd woken up, and as he walked into his office at 8:55 that morning, he nodded curtly to his secretary. Now that he no longer had the inconvenience of school to deal with, he found that he worked more or less `normal' hours, with only the occasional bout of extended overtime.

Once he had settled in behind his desk, he picked up his telephone and buzzed his secretary. This one was named Leiko, and she was a more matronly woman, who knew her job backwards and forwards, and was very adept at finding him information when he requested it. When she answered his page, he asked for a cup of black coffee and the contact information for Jounouchi Katsuya.

"That's strange that you should mention him, Kaiba-sama," Leiko responded. "Not five minutes ago, we received a fax from Nomura Securities informing us of some recent changes in stock ownership, and his name was at the top of the list."

Kaiba sat in stunned silence with his fingers clenched white-knuckled around the receiver. It had only been a dream; just a stupid, meaningless dream. Nothing more. "How much does he own?" the brunet whispered as he stared blankly ahead of him. He had a terrible feeling that he already knew the answer to his question.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Kaiba-sama? Is everything ok?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice at her employer's sudden change of tone.

"God damn it, how much does he own?" he snapped irately into the receiver, ignoring both Leiko's question and the surprised gasp she gave in return to his harsh demand. He heard the faint shuffling of paper and then a moment later, he heard Leiko clear her throat softly.

"It seems Jounouchi-san owns 24% of the shares." There was a brief pause, and when Kaiba didn't say anything further, she pressed, "Shall I invite him to the shareholder's meeting tonight?"

"No," the brunet said flatly as he placed the receiver back on the cradle. Somehow, he had a feeling the blond would already be coming.

A few moments later, Leiko came into his office, bringing him a large mug of coffee, a copy of the fax from Nomura, and a telephone number for Jounouchi. "Is there anything else I can get you, Kaiba-sama?" she asked as she set the items down in front of him.

"No…thank you," he replied as he picked up the fax, his eyes narrowing suspiciously when he saw that all twelve transactions had taken place in a matter of two weeks. "Wait," he called out. "I want contact information on the twelve individuals mentioned in this fax as well." Leiko nodded, and as soon as she had left, he picked up the telephone and dialled Jounouchi's number, his heart hammering in his chest.

It was answered on the fourth ring.

"Hi. This is Jou. I'm either out, sleeping, or just don't feel like talking to you. If what you have to say is that important, you know what to do." There was a shrill `beep' and Kaiba hung up the phone. The brunet's eyes flicked back over to the contact sheet, and he scowled when he saw that no other information was listed. `Fine,' he thought to himself as he dragged his laptop closer to him. `I can still find you even with just a telephone number.' He started off simply with a reverse directory look-up and came up empty handed.  
His frown deepening, he began more intensive searches, eventually accessing the cell phone company itself. He smirked in satisfaction when an address flashed up on his screen, but the smug look immediately faded when he saw that the billing address was to a Hu Yu that lived at 123 Peekaboo Street in Domino, and that the account was paid in full for the next two years. If it hadn't been for the irritation he felt at being denied what he sought, Kaiba might have found Jounouchi's prank against the cell phone conglomerates amusing. His frown deepened. For some reason, the blond did not want to be easily found. He glanced up when Leiko came in and handed him a list of names and refilled his coffee mug for him. At least finding out _how_ Jou had managed his task would be fairly straightforward.

By mid-afternoon, he sat staring at the list of names Leiko had provided for him, a look of disbelief mixed with worry on his face. The brunet felt a chill shoot down his spine that caused the hair on the back of his neck to bristle. It _had_ to be nothing more than coincidence, but as he reread his notes, he had a very unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_Kurosawa Masuyo – sold 2% shares November 1st, declared insane (paranoid delusions, incoherent thoughts, probable cause: extreme ecstasy overdose) November 10th_

_Nishikawa Isamu – sold 5% shares November 2nd, deceased (jumped from 35th floor window) November 3rd_

_Sakai Kazuo – sold 2% shares November 3rd, deceased (throat torn out) November 3rd_

_Fujimoto Ichiro – sold 3% shares November 4th, missing since November 6th_

_Shibata Akira – sold 1% shares November 5th, deceased (stabbed in heart) November 6th_

_Harada Kasume – sold 1% shares November 7th, spoke with her on phone, said she wanted to get rid of them and buyer paid cash_

_Takeuchi Keiko – sold 1% shares November 8th, missing since November 10th_

_Kimura Nori – sold 2% shares November 9th, spoke with him on phone, doesn't recall ever owning shares in KC, refuses to speak further on issue_

_Matsumoto Takumi – sold 1% shares November 11th, declared insane (mute, withdrawn, paranoid, suicidal) November 15th_

_Yamamoto Kenshin – sold 3% shares November 12th, in hospital (coma resulting from severe head trauma – recovery unlikely) November 12th_

_Nakamura Ryota – sold 2% shares November 13th, deceased (died from complications due to violent beating) November 17th_

_Watanabe Hikaru – sold 1% shares November 14th, deceased (OD'd on Valium, Prozac, Demerol cocktail with Liquid Drano chaser) November 15th_

The words from his dream came back to him. `Oh, I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and before you know it, I was a shareholder.' He idly tapped his pad of paper with the end of his pen. In the years he'd known Jounouchi, he'd always thought him to be somewhat of a punk, always getting into people's business and having to, on more than one occasion, back up his loud mouth with a fist – but to _kill_ people? He had a hard time convincing himself of that fact. Still, the numbers didn't look favourable. Five of twelve were dead, and for five more, the prospect didn't look too promising. And, taking into consideration the ironic timing of everything, Kaiba couldn't help the little, red flag that went up in his mind. Something wasn't adding up, and until he could get to the bottom of it, he would have to be extra vigilant. A grim expression on his face, he once again reached for his phone. He heard the deep, bass voice of his personal bodyguard, and he felt a sense of relief wash over him. "Kiro, I need you here for a meeting at 6:00."

"Of course, Kaiba-sama. I'll be there."

As soon as he'd finished with Kiro, he was back on his laptop and accessing his personal accounts with Nomura Securities. With a little luck, he was going to try to buy out all of Jou's stock from under him. As soon as he made some enquiries, he knew that would be impossible. It seemed as though Jounouchi was far shrewder than he'd supposed. As soon as the blond had received transfer of all the shares, he had immediately dumped them into a small company of his own. Short of buying out and taking over that company, Jou's stock was safe – for today. He gave a snort of grudging admiration. Whether it was business savvy or dumb luck, the blond had timed the disclosure of the share transfers perfectly with Kaiba's shareholder's meeting to prevent any remedial action on the brunet's part. `Clever Inu,' he thought as he heard a knock on his door and admitted Kiro into his office. `But you haven't beaten me yet.' He stood up, greeted the large, raven-haired man, and then led the way towards the conference room, feeling a very eerie sense of déjà vu.

Kaiba took his place at the head of the table, Kiro sitting on his right, watching the doorway. Several minutes passed before there was a knock at the door and Ayumi entered, Jounouchi in tow, and dressed exactly as he had seen him in his dream. After showing the blond to his seat, she bowed to the three men, shutting the door behind her as she left.

Jou sat down on Kaiba's left, the irritation in his amber eyes belying the crooked grin he wore on his face. His gaze fell upon Kiro and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Hello, Seto," Jou purred. Not once did he break eye contact with the raven-haired man, even as he spoke. "You don't seem that surprised to see me, but then again, I'd bet Nomura's already contacted you, ne? Or have you just been thinking about me all day?" When the brunet didn't answer him, Jou's lips turned down ever so slightly into a sulky pout. "Who's  
the suit?"

"His name is Kiro, and he's here for my protection," Kaiba stated matter-of-factly.

Jou turned to stare incredulously at the brunet, and then burst into laughter.

"You find that amusing?" Kaiba asked curtly, a petulant scowl on his face.

"Hell yes!" Jou replied, his eyes twinkling. "I mean, seriously Seto. If you think he's going to protect you from me, you're crazy. What the fuck is he going to do? Shoot me?" He saw Kiro lean back slightly in his chair and push open his jacket to reveal the butt of a small handgun. Seeing this, the blond snorted in amusement. "Ruger 9mm? Please. I'm insulted." He leaned back cockily in his chair, crossing his legs and folding his arms across his chest.

Kaiba and Kiro exchanged brief, disbelieving looks, and then the brunet's eyes returned to Jounouchi. His sapphire gaze travelled over the lithe form beside him. He'd always thought Jou to be good looking, with his blond hair that shone like burnished gold, his lively, playful amber eyes and his well-chiselled features. But now, he couldn't help but wonder if his body really was as firm, yet pliant, as it had been in his dream, and what it would feel like to have the blond's arms wrapped around him in the throes of passion.

A small smirk spread across Jou's face as he got to his feet. "I have no interest in hearing boring reports, even if they are in your voice. Do whatever you want with the company; I trust your judgment completely. And as for you, my dear Seto, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it." With a cryptic wink, Jou made his way to the door, pausing as he stepped into the hall. "I'll be seeing you…Beloved," he called over his shoulder as he left.

Kaiba's eyes were wide in shock as he watched the retreating form. There was no way that Jou could have known what he was thinking, and his comment had to be nothing more than well timed, but the pet name, `Beloved' – that was what Jou had called him in his dream. Again, it had to be coincidence. He watched as the conference room door swung shut, and with a small gasp, the brunet quickly lunged for the handle, grabbing it just before it latched closed. `It was just a dream,' he reminded himself as he kicked the small, brass stopper in place, but it didn't hurt to be _too_ careful. He turned and saw Kiro looking at him with mild interest, but the larger man knew better than to question any of his employer's odd quirks. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Kiro. I'll make sure you're well compensated for this inconvenience."

"No apologies necessary, Kaiba-sama," Kiro rumbled. "But I think it would be best if you went home – there's something strange in the air tonight; I can feel it. I'll see you to your car."

"Thank you, Kiro, but your concerns are unfounded. Despite his infuriating attitude, Jounouchi is not a threat to me. Besides, I have a few things that need finishing up here."

"I'd still feel better if you let me accompany you when you left. I'll wait for you in reception, no hurry. I'm patient." Kiro walked with him to the front waiting area, and then broke off to settle himself in one of the comfortable chairs and glance through a magazine.

Kaiba returned to his office and sat behind his desk, propping his elbows up on the glass-like mahogany top and resting his head in his hands. He was beginning to feel his headache returning, and as he sat up and fumbled through a drawer for the bottle of aspirin he knew was there, he wondered if it was due to stress, hunger, or a combination of both; after all, he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. He telephoned his driver and asked him to pick him up the daily special from Shouga, and then to contact him when he'd returned, as he'd be ready to go home at that point. At least he didn't have to worry about hurrying home for Mokuba any more. The raven-haired teen was now sixteen, and had begged to attend high school at the Kaisei Academy in Tokyo. Kaiba had reluctantly agreed, and although he missed having his younger brother around, a small, selfish part of him did enjoy the slight bit of freedom from responsibility.

With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair as he crunched through a couple of tablets and then glanced at his watch. It was nearly 7:00. It would only take Matsuo about half an hour to complete his errand – plenty of time for him to finally compose a reply to Mokuba's latest email. Just as he was finishing, Matsuo telephoned him to let him know that he had returned and, after Kaiba sent his greetings, he powered down his computer for the night. As he stood, he luxuriated in a deep stretch and then stepped out into the reception area to collect Kiro. 

The larger man was on his feet in an instant, moving fluidly to stand by the brunet's side and staying there as the two rode the elevator to the underground garage in silence. Their footfalls echoed on the concrete as they neared the waiting vehicles, and suddenly the raven-haired man put his arm out to stop the brunet. "I told you I had a strange feeling about tonight," he said grimly as he saw the limo's partially open driver's side door and heard the faint dinging indicative of a key left in the ignition. Kiro drew his pistol and cautiously approached the vehicle, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Kaiba followed the other man, knowing from past experience to keep his distance. As he came around the rear bumper of the car, he could see a pair of feet hanging out at a very awkward angle. For the second time that day, he felt as if he had been immersed in ice water, and he gave an involuntary shudder.

"Shit."

The silence was broken by the bodyguard's agitated curse. Turning to the brunet, the larger man strode towards him, an apprehensive expression on his face. "We need to go, now, Kaiba-sama. Matsuo's dead; it looks like someone tried to rip his head clean off." He grabbed Kaiba by the elbow and started to lead him back to the elevator. They were only about ten feet away when a man dressed in black dropped silently from the overhead piping above them to block their way. Kiro raised his arm to shoot, but before he could even fire off a single round, the stranger had grabbed the large, ebony haired man by the throat with one hand and by the wrist that held the weapon with the other.

While the Kiro scrabbled at the hand about his windpipe with his free hand, the stranger's posture remained unchanged, as though the entire exercise were no more strenuous than standing in a gentle breeze. There was a soft cracking sound as the large man's windpipe collapsed, and with a strangled gasp, the gun fell from the bodyguard's hand as he dropped to his knees, trying vainly to breathe, his eyes wide in panic.

The whole exchange happened in less than five seconds, and by the time Kaiba had recovered from the shock of what he had just witnessed and had started to back away from the scene, the stranger turned his attention back to him. He met the stranger's gaze, and for several moments, neither man moved as they stood facing one another, each one eyeing the other and assessing him. Kaiba was speechless as he stared at the other man. Never had he seen another human being quite like this. He looked to be his age and had the same height and build as Honda Hiroto, but with bright crimson hair that was cut short and had been twisted up into one-inch spikes, and cold, pale, glacier blue eyes that stared unblinkingly. He wore a long, black leather motorcycle duster, black fingerless driving gloves and black biker boots. And the longer he looked at Kaiba, the colder and more malevolent his expression became. The brunet moved to take a step backwards, but he immediately found himself in the iron grip of the furious redhead. "What have I done to offend you?" Kaiba asked as calmly as he could, given the fact that his heart was hammering frantically in his chest.

At the brunet's words, the redhead's lips twitched ever so slightly to curve upwards into a smirk. "You ask what you've done to offend me," the man sneered, his voice soft and lilting with a trace of an accent Kaiba couldn't quite place. "I can smell the stench of Jounouchi all over you, and I can sense that he's in your thoughts. He's contaminated you, and you're no longer the morsel I had been expecting. No matter; I'm still going to kill you." At this, he grinned fully, revealing a set of long, pointed canine teeth.

All pretence of rationality gone, Kaiba panicked when he saw the fangs. "What the hell are you?" he asked as he tried to force himself from the strong grasp, his eyes widening further when the redhead backed him against a concrete pillar, making escape impossible.

"I would have thought that would have been obvious, even to someone like you, Kaiba Seto." He pressed his body against the brunet's, grabbing Kaiba's hands and holding them firmly in his own as he drew nearer to the slender throat. "You talk a big game, but when it comes down to it, you're just like everyone else when facing death. You're a fucking coward at heart." 

Kaiba felt the fangs sink into his flesh, and despite how he tried not to, he let out a small, pained whimper. He could feel his blood pouring from the two small wounds, the crimson fluid quickly soaking through his shirt, his suit jacket and his trench coat. And, as he felt the other's grip on him relax, he could feel his legs starting to tremble before his knees gave out on him completely and he slowly crumpled to the floor.

The redhead spat the mouthful of blood he'd collected on the floor, wiping his lips in disgust with the back of his sleeve. "I'd never pollute my body with such filthy blood," he hissed as he looked down at the brunet. "You're not worth my time."

As the stranger stole off into the night, Kaiba tried to raise his head to see where he had gone. His movements were sluggish and jerky as he leaned the weight of his upper body on his forearms and peered into the night. The concrete was rapidly pooling with blood, and when he set his hand into the viscous, greasy liquid, he slipped and fell onto his side with a pained groan. As a final act of defiance to the reaper, he rolled onto his back and fumbled in his coat pocket for his cell phone. With trembling fingers, he opened the device and tried to focus his eyes on the tiny keypad. His mind was getting foggy, and he knew that he was going to soon bleed to death. The cell felt like a lead weight in his hand, and as he let his arm fall down beside him, the electronic device went skittering across the concrete and left him lying there, all alone, to await the inevitable.


	3. Chapter Three

The blond sighed as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his forearms, nervously tapping the toe of his boot against the concrete. He was currently perched on the roof of the Kandigawa building, his gaze focused on the gate of the KaibaCorp parking garage across the street. He felt a cool wind gust across him, and he pulled his jacket tighter around him. The temperature didn't really bother him; the action was more of an automatic reflex than anything. Still, he really couldn't complain about possessing such mannerisms. After all, they were what enabled him to blend in inconspicuously with `normal' society. A frown creased his smooth brow. Something wasn't right. He'd seen Seto's office light turn off nearly ten minutes ago, and there was still no sign of his car. The brunet wasn't usually one to screw around. His frown deepening, he closed his eyes for a moment in concentration. Seto was still in the building; he could feel his presence. He decided that he would wait five more minutes and then go investigate. Loosing another sigh, he resumed his post.

A small smirk crept across his lips. God, it had been good to see Seto again after so much time away. It was unfortunate that he'd had to resort to such dirty tricks with the standoffish brunet to get his attention, but at least Jou knew that he was in Seto's thoughts. And what thoughts they were! His smirk widened. If only he'd known that Seto was capable of imagining such deliciously sinful things back then, he'd have made a move on him long ago. Nevertheless, now that he knew the brunet's true intentions, he could look past the bullshit and work towards pursuing the ultimate prey – it was always the most fun when they were willing. Jou let out a small, frustrated growl. He wanted him so badly, his body ached, but he had sworn to himself that unless Seto came to him, he would fight his strongest impulses.

He was pulled from his musing by a streak of black and scarlet. Only those like him would have been perceptive enough to see it, and even he nearly missed it due to his daydreaming. Amber eyes quickly followed the movement, narrowing in recognition as Jou hissed, "Thanatos." He gave a cursory glance downwards to make sure he wouldn't fall on any unsuspecting person, and then he climbed up on the edge of the building and gracefully jumped down the four stories to the alley, landing on his feet like a cat. Anxiously, he crossed the street and slipped undetected into the garage. If Thanatos was skulking around, it couldn't be good news for Seto. He just hoped he wasn't too late. He saw the brunet's limo, and when he got close enough, he could see what remained of Matsuo. Thanatos had been quite…unrestrained as he had fed on the driver, the gash in the young chauffeur's throat wide enough to expose his spinal column. Jou shuddered in disgust. Thanatos' feeding habits had always been less than civilized.

He heard a soft, gasping breath from behind the vehicle, and as he stepped around it, he felt a wave of anger flood through him. "Fuck, what a God damned mess," he growled as he stood over the pale brunet, prodding the unconscious form of Kiro with the toe of his boot. The bodyguard was not going to make it, even if he got to a hospital immediately. Already, the blond could sense the life slipping from his body. If he hadn't already been unconscious, Jou would have put him out of his misery. Seto was a different story –  
Jou gave him a fifty-fifty chance for survival. He sighed sadly as he saw the normally commanding brunet lying cold and lifeless in a pool of his own blood, the scarlet fluid matting into his hair and drying on his skin. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on his brow. Crouching down beside him, Jou gently turned his head to the side and saw the two vicious puncture marks in the otherwise perfect throat. "God damn him; that son of a bitch will pay for touching what is mine," Jou hissed as he saw that the blood still ran freely from the wound. "Fuck," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Leaning forward, he whispered into the ear of the barely conscious brunet, "Seto, I'm sorry. I know I swore to myself I wouldn't, but this is the only way I can stop the bleeding. I'm hungry, so I only hope I can stop myself."

Dropping onto one knee, Jou carefully lifted the brunet into a semi-sitting position, letting his head lean back against his other knee as he cradled him in his arms. "I don't know what's in our saliva, but it helps to seal the punctures," he murmured tremulously as his breath ghosted over Kaiba's throat. He lowered his lips to the flowing wound, letting out a soft moan of delight as his mouth was filled with blood. He swallowed greedily, wanting to take more but knowing he couldn't. It took all his effort to force himself off of the brunet's skin, and as he trailed his tongue lightly across the marred flesh, he silently cursed himself for not feeding earlier in the night; this would have been infinitely easier had he been sated. Panting breathlessly, he looked down at the man he still held in his arms, and he could see that the flow was, indeed, slowing.

Jou let out a relieved sigh, and then dropped his one arm lower to wrap around Kaiba's waist while the other slipped behind his knees. He stumbled slightly as he stood up, but not because he was weak. The brunet's weight was negligible in his arms, but Kaiba's height made walking a little bit awkward for Jou as he made his way to his waiting car, unlocking the passenger door of the black 1969 Olds 442 and gently setting Kaiba into the seat, arranging the long legs inside before shutting the door. As he slid behind the wheel, he could see the brunet stirring slightly, and he heard a weary groan as he felt Kaiba's head come to rest against his sleeve, glazed sapphire eyes staring unseeingly in a half-lidded gaze. He lifted his arm and draped it across the brunet's shoulders, holding him close against him as he pulled out on the street, heading for his lair.

Jou's home was a large, one-floor cottage on the edge of town. It had two bedrooms, a cozy living room, a kitchen and a dining room, plus the bathroom. He killed the headlights as he pulled into his laneway, and after parking the car, Jou came around to the passenger side to retrieve the brunet. The first thing he did was carry Kaiba to the bathroom and strip him of his soiled clothing. He smirked when he thought about the earful he was going to receive from Seto when the brunet finally regained consciousness, but he refused to leave him sitting all sticky in his own blood. Jou drew a bath and carefully set Kaiba in the tub as though he were an infant. Tenderly, he washed away all of the dried blood, then gently scrubbed the brunet's hair. After carefully rinsing the soap away, he took a moment to let his eyes travel over the toned expanse of skin, his fingers moving to lightly caress against a pectoral muscle, a well-defined bicep or the curve of a cheek. "Breathtaking," he whispered as he lifted Kaiba from the tub and carried him into the master bedroom. He lay him down on the bed and then rifled through his bureau for some clothing. After tugging a black t-shirt over Kaiba's head and slipping a pair of black pyjama pants up over his hips, he dropped a soft kiss onto Kaiba's forehead, and then he pulled the quilt up over the silent form. "I'm going to find you something to eat for when you wake up. I promise I'll be here until you do," he murmured. "It shouldn't be much longer – your breathing is even now, and your heart is beating stronger."

Once in the kitchen, Jou opened up the pantry and pulled out a bottle of water and a can of beef vegetable soup. Although he no longer had any need for these items, he had for some unknown reason kept them.  
However, whether this was due to some strange, sentimental tie to his humanity or simply because he had never bothered to throw them out, he didn't know. Jou opened the can and emptied the contents into a small pot. Immediately, his stomach gave a small lurch when he smelled the soup. That was always the way it was with him when he caught a strong aroma of food, especially if the dish happened to contain meat. It seemed to be a quirk unique to him, but he'd managed to cope with it. Over time, he'd learned to control his gag reflex, and now only the strongest, most pungent odours caused him to physically throw up. And even then, once he'd gotten accustomed to them, he was generally fine with them.

When the soup was hot, Jou poured it into a large bowl and, tucking the bottle of water under his arm, he carried everything back to the bedroom and set it carefully on the nightstand beside the brunet.  
He sighed wistfully and, despite how his stomach was protesting, he looked longingly at the steaming bowl. That was probably the one and only thing he missed about being mortal. He smiled fondly at the resting form and then dimmed the lamp. Crossing the room, he settled into an old armchair that was now partially shadowed in darkness. Picking up a book, he crossed his legs at the knee and settled in to wait.

He didn't have to wait long.

After about twenty minutes, there was a pained groan from the bed as Kaiba sat up, his hand cradling his head as he slowly blinked his eyes open. A look of confusion spread across his face as he felt a moment of disorientation, and then his eyes widened slightly. "Where the hell am I?" he croaked out in a hoarse whisper. Kaiba caught the scent of the food beside him, and finding himself suddenly ravenous, he turned his attention to the bowl of soup. After a few bites, he decided he was more interested in the bottle of water and eagerly drank. When he had quenched his thirst, he returned to the meal, grateful to have something in his stomach. When he had finished, he set the bowl back on the nightstand and moved to get up, but his head spun wildly and he sank back down onto the mattress with a small groan. He felt so tired…

"Easy there, Tiger," Jou called teasingly from his armchair. "Your body's been through quite an ordeal tonight. You can't just expect to get up and go as if nothing's happened." Setting his book on the arm of the chair, he stood up and moved to sit beside the brunet on the edge of the bed.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the blond sitting next to him, gazing appreciatively at the sight of the lithe body clad in slim fitting leather pants and a three-quarter length black leather jacket. Suddenly, he felt very much awake and quite irritated to see the smirking face. "Jounouchi," he sneered. "What the hell were you doing over there?"

"Reading."

"Reading," Kaiba echoed flatly. "Right. There's hardly any light," he stated as he reached over and turned up the lamp.

"There's enough for me," the blond replied with a shrug. "Besides, I needed something to do while I waited for you to wake up."

"I should have known you'd have something to do with this."

"Yeah, I only saved your ass. And even that's still sketchy. You seem to be ok, but I need more time to tell. I'm just trying to help you, Seto."

The brunet glowered. "Help me? Your idea of helping me is to bring me…" He made a wide, sweeping gesture that took in his surroundings. "…here? Why the hell wouldn't you bring me to a hospital?"

Jou sighed. "No hospital can treat what's wrong with you; your body would have rejected any attempt at an intravenous transfusion for at least twenty-four hours, and besides, I'm sure the doctors would have had some interesting questions for you when _that_ happened." He saw the strange look Seto was giving him, so with a small smile, he elaborated. "You were bitten by a vampire, but he didn't drink from you. He just bit you, and then left you to bleed on the floor of your parking garage – but half-assed has always been his way. I saw him leave, and I went looking for you, stopped the bleeding and brought you here." Jou felt no compulsion to expand further at this point.

The brunet stared at him dubiously. "A what? Grow up, Jounouchi; we're not in Kindergarten. Next you're going to tell me that he gave me `the Cooties'." He let out a small snort of laughter.

"Hn. Still the eternal cynic." Jou reached out his hand and brushed a lock of hair from Kaiba's eyes, a soft smile on his lips. He leaned forward, his amber eyes glinting playfully as he purred, "You know, _I'm_ one, too."

Kaiba laughed outright at this. "Liar," he said callously. "You're so full of shit. I don't know what your game is, Jounouchi, but you'll never take my company from me."

"Your company?" Jou said incredulously as his eyes narrowed in anger and his lips curved down into a snarl. "I could give a flying fuck about KaibaCorp, Seto! And I don't lie! Not to you, not ever!" He was on his feet in an instant and glaring at the brunet. Growling dangerously, he grabbed Kaiba by the collar and hauled him off the bed with one hand, holding him up at arms length so that his toes barely brushed the floor. "Why the _fuck_ would I save your ass if all I wanted was your company?" Jou could sense Kaiba's fear, and reigning in his rage, he carefully set the brunet back down on the floor and then helped him back to the bed, getting him to once again lie down on the pillows. "I'm sorry for losing my temper, Beloved," he murmured as he sat back down on the bedside and placed a kiss on Kaiba's forehead. "You just really piss me off when you talk to me like that - _especially_ when you say I'm not being honest."

Kaiba cleared his throat nervously and, not wanting to experience another one of the blond's outbursts, decided to try a more rational tack. "Jounouchi, all that crap about ghosts and witches and vampires; I just don't believe it." He propped himself up on one elbow, looking directly into the blond's eyes. "Besides, Halloween was _last_ month."

"Shit," Jou sighed as he stood back up, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. "You'd think the fangs were a trick, so I guess I'm going to have to give you a more `practical demonstration' then." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a large butterfly knife, flicking it open with a snap of his wrist. "Ah hell, this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch. Watch carefully, because I'm only going to do this once." He shrugged out of his jacket and pushed up his black t-shirt to reveal his finely toned abdomen, and then flipped the knife over in his hand and plunged it into his gut. "Fuck!" he hissed as the blood began pouring from the wound, running over his fingers and dripping onto the floor in large, greasy puddles.

Kaiba sat bolt-upright and watched in horror as the blond twisted the knife and then yanked it from his body, bringing the blade to his lips and laving the crimson fluid from it. He once again met Jou's gaze, and though he could see they were partially clouded with pain, the golden eyes were still hungry and playful. The blond's lips curved upwards into a small smile, and the brunet watched in rapt fascination as the gash slowly stopped bleeding, and after a few minutes, there was no evidence that there had been a mark on him at all, save for the red smear from when he'd withdrawn the knife. He reached out a trembling hand as though he were going to touch Jou's skin, as if to verify for himself what he had seen, but then promptly withdrew it. "A trick; it _has_ to be some sort of trick. I don't know why you want me to believe this, but _vampires don't exist_."

Jou scowled. "What the fuck do I have to do to convince you? Bite you? Kill you?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Well for a start, where are your fangs, Dracula? Show me you have no reflection, or that crosses can hurt you, or hell, turn into a bat for me!" The brunet smirked smugly. "You can't, can you?"

"Jesus Christ, for someone who's so intelligent, you sure are an idiot sometimes. Everything that comes from a book isn't necessarily true. Yeah, Seto, it's called `fiction' – ever heard of it?" He shook his head irately, his scowl deepening. "Fuck, I don't know why I'm wasting my time with this. If I haven't convinced you by now, then short of turning you myself, I never will. Screw this." The blond was positively livid as he grabbed his jacket and stuffed his arms back into it and headed for the door. "When you get your head out of your ass, we'll talk more."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"You may have eaten tonight, but I haven't," Jou replied cattily. "So first, I'm going to hunt my dinner, and then I'm going to hunt my quarry, because if he finds you, I'm pretty sure I won't get a second chance to save you." His expression softened as he saw the heavy, dark circles under the still-sparkling sapphire eyes, and he found that in his weakened condition, the brunet looked even more stunning. He gave a small sigh, allowing his irritation to ebb slightly. "Look, Seto, even though I'm beyond pissed at you right now, I do still love you more than anything in this world. Rest, get some sleep, and keep recovering. I'll be back before sunrise; I swear it. Just – stay here. As long as you're in my lair, he can't touch you." Before Kaiba could protest, he'd closed the bedroom door and headed outside to his car. As he headed towards the bright lights of Domino, his mind began racing. Had he really been hunting Thanatos for four years now? When he'd initially begun this quest, Jou'd assumed that the redhead would be just as easy to kill as the others had been. But Thanatos had wisely skipped town, and although the blond had not actively pursued him, he'd diligently prowled Domino to make sure he didn't come back. "Idiot," Jou growled to himself as he shifted gears and headed for downtown, his mind reliving the events of his past. "Your first mistake was not killing me when you had the chance. Your second was coming back to my town. Your third was touching what was mine. You know what they say – three strikes and you're out."


	4. Chapter Four

Jounouchi Katsuya was nineteen years old and in the prime of his life. He'd graduated from high school nearly a year ago, and come September, he was going to enroll in the kinesiology program at Domino University. Honda, Yugi, Ryou and Anzu had all gone last fall, but he'd needed to take a year off to work and earn some money for tuition. Still, he'd been studying Ryou's and Honda's texts diligently. If he managed to keep his grades up, he would be eligible for grants and scholarships for his remaining years. He walked quickly down the street to Murasake, the restaurant where he worked as a waiter. Even though the March evening carried a hint of warmth on a breeze, the air was still clear and crisp, and it was with a sigh of relief that he stepped into the heated restaurant. His boss, the world-renowned Omake Jiro, grinned when he saw the blond.

"Jounouchi! How's my favourite employee?" the kind man greeted. It was a known fact that Jou was, indeed, the most efficient and effective employee, and many of the `regulars' often asked to be seated in Jou's section when he was working.

"Great, Omake-sama!" Jou replied as he hung up his jacket and slipped on his apron, the one part of his `uniform' that he kept at work. "So, how's it look for tonight?"

"Full house as usual," the older gentleman beamed. "And before you ask, the specials for tonight are `Crab Lasagne with Tomato-Basil Reduction' and `Paupiettes of Sole with Foie Gras'."

Jou chuckled as he fastened his apron around his waist. "Am I really that predictable, Omake-sama?"

"No, you're just that thorough. Ok, looks like you have three tables already. Good luck tonight, Jounouchi!"

The blond gave him a thumb's up and set to work. The night went smoothly, and Jou enjoyed himself chatting up the customers he recognized and establishing rapport with those he didn't. It was 9:30 when his last table of the evening was seated. He glanced at the older man who was sitting alone. He was tall and slender, and appeared to be in his late 40's or early 50's with a full head of blue-black hair streaked with fine wisps of grey. His eyes were dark – Jou couldn't tell if they were a deep blue or a dark brown in the dim light of the restaurant, and his skin was pale and unblemished. His features were delicate yet well defined, and he was impeccably dressed in a dark suit. For an older man, Jou thought he was quite handsome, and idly wondered why he was dining alone. With a smile, he walked over to the table and said cheerfully, "Good evening, and welcome to Murasake. My name is Jounouchi, and I will be taking care of you this evening. May I tell you about tonight's specials?" 

"I already know what I want," the older man said softly as he looked the blond up and down, and Jou gave an involuntary shudder at the silkiness of his voice. "But tell me, Jounouchi, I'm curious what you would recommend."

The blond looked around, and with a cocky grin on his face, he said, "Well, I'm supposed to promote the specials – the sole is good, but I hate foie gras, so I wouldn't eat that, and the crab lasagne is nice, too, but if you really want something to die for, I'd recommend the duck ravioli with camembert Alfredo."

"Interesting choice of words," the raven haired man replied with a chuckle. "Alright, bring me that, please."

Jou nodded and placed the order with the kitchen, returning a few moments later with bread and salad, which he placed in front of his patron. Not wanting to hover, he hung around the back of the restaurant keeping an eye on his tables. He noted with a frown that the single gentleman didn't appear to be eating his meal. Once again approaching the lone man, he asked, "Is everything ok, Sir?"

The man chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure it's wonderful – I just don't eat salad."

"Oh; my apologies," Jou said, a slight flush creeping up his cheeks. "I just assumed – I mean, uh…w-would you care for something else instead?"

Again, the raven-haired gentleman chuckled. "No, thank you. Relax, Jounouchi. It's just a salad, not the end of the world."

"Right," Jou replied, still flustered. "I'll just get this out of your way and check on your dinner." He hurried back to the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the ravioli on the hot plate. With a flourish, Jou placed the bowl in front of the man and said, "I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes." Cursing himself for his first ever `return', he went into the break room and downed a bottle of water. `Ok Jou,' he said to himself. `He doesn't seem pissed, which is good. Get back out there and do your thing.' Taking a deep breath, the blond smiled and returned to the dining room. His face nearly fell when he saw that the stranger had yet to touch his dinner. "I-is there something wrong with the ravioli?" He prayed that there wasn't, since it had been him that had personally recommended the dish.

"No, I don't think so," the man replied gently as he picked up the bowl and set it at the place across from him. "I'm just waiting for my dining companion to join me."

"Oh," Jou replied stupidly as he let out his breath in relief. "Well, if you tell me what she looks like, I'll bring her right over when she arrives."

The raven-haired man smirked. "Actually, it's a he, and he has blond hair, golden eyes, and is fairly tall and lanky."

"That should be easy," Jou replied. "He sounds kind of like me!"

At this, the other man laughed outright. "It _is_ you, Jounouchi. Please, dine with me."

The blond gaped. "Uh, I don't think I can do that. See, first of all I'm working and it's not allowed. Second, no offence, but I don't know you."

"Indeed," the man purred. "But I know you. I've been watching you, and I think you're just what I've been looking for."

Jou flushed crimson. "I'm uh, flattered, but yeah, I'm going to have to say thanks but no thanks. My old man tried to whore me out once, and I'm just not into that sort of lifestyle."

With a sharp burst of laughter, the man replied, "Oh Jounouchi, you misunderstand me! Look, box this up, and when you're finished with work, give me five minutes of your time to explain while you enjoy this exquisite meal." He met Jou's disbelieving gaze, and after a moment, Jou nodded slowly.

"I'm finished at 10:30," the blond said softly.

"Wonderful. I'll wait for you on the bench across the street." He got to his feet and placed enough money for four meals on the table. "Keep the change," he said with a smile. "By the way, my name is Marduk, and now you know me."

Jou watched in stunned silence as Marduk made his way outside. He glanced at the bench, but didn't see the older gentleman sitting there. With a shrug, he picked up the money, knowing that this one tip was more than he'd earn in a week, and finished up with his duties. At the end of the night, he had Marduk's take out container of duck ravioli tucked under his arm as he stepped out into the alley and made his way towards the street. He figured the raven-haired man would be long gone, but when he glanced across the boulevard and saw Marduk sitting patiently on the bench, he quirked a surprised eyebrow. The other turned to look at him, and Jou, knowing he'd been caught staring, gave a cursory glance up and down the road before he jogged across to join him.

Eyeing the mature gentlemen warily, Jou extended his hand and held the box out to him. "Here, I boxed this up for you. And you left far too much money for me. I have your change, too."

A tiny smirk curved the edges of Marduk's mouth as he looked at Jou. "So honourable, you are," he said softly. "I know how much I gave you; keep it. As for the meal, it's not what I usually eat. Please, enjoy it with my compliments as I try to better explain myself to you."

Jou didn't take his eyes off the other man as he sat down beside him, keeping a good two feet of distance between them. "Ok, so talk," Jou said as he cracked open the Styrofoam container and started to eat.

Marduk chuckled. "Such impudence! I love it!" His eyes grew serious, and he said, "I want you to keep an open mind, Jounouchi. I am old. I…" He held up his hand when he saw Jou about to protest. "Trust me; I'm older than I look. A _lot_ older. Anyway, I'm looking for an heir to enjoy everything I've amassed over the years. I have no children, so to speak, so I've been looking for worthwhile successors."

"I'm not that worthwhile," Jou mumbled through a mouthful of ravioli. "I haven't exactly been the best kid, you know?"

The raven-haired man laughed again. "I told you, I know you. I know about your days with Hirutani, I know about your parents, I know how your father treated you. None of that matters." He took the empty container from Jou and tossed it into the trashcan beside him and slid closer to the obviously stunned blond. "Listen to me Jounouchi; I'm going to offer you a gift unlike anything you've ever dreamed. You will be stronger and faster, have better reflexes, and be less prone to injury than you are now; practically immortal. However, there is a downside. You will become like me, a creature destined to live in darkness and shadows, feeding on the blood of the living."

At this, Jou gave him a crooked grin. "A vampire? I'm a little old for fairy tales, ne?"

Marduk smiled sadly as he trailed a finger down the blond's cheek. "You're a beautiful creature, Jounouchi. You have a choice to make, and I need your answer now. Either you agree to be my protégé and me your sire, or I'll simply kill you. One way or another, you _are_ going to die tonight. It's up to you whether you lose your consciousness as well."

Jou's eyes went wide and he tried to move away from the raven-haired man, but Marduk was far quicker than Jou, and in an instant, he had the blond in his arms. "Let me go, God damn it!" Jou growled as he struggled against the other.

"Shh," Marduk soothed as he met Jou's heated, amber gaze and tenderly ran his fingers through the blond locks. Instantly, Jou quieted, staring blankly at the other. "That's better, beautiful one. I'm going to bite you now, and then I'm going to ask you one more time. If you refuse me then, you die here." Again, he ran his fingers down Jou's cheek, and then moved slightly so he could trail soft kisses down Jou's jaw and throat. He moaned loudly when his lips found purchase on Jou's pulse point and, cradling the blond in his arms, he sank his fangs into Jou's neck and began to feed.

Jou let out a small, sharp cry of pain when he felt the two points puncture his flesh, and then there was only bliss. He felt as though he was floating out of his body, and his head swam in dizzying ecstasy. And, just as soon as it had begun, he was thrust back into reality, whimpering at the intense ache he felt in his throat. He glanced beside him and saw Marduk licking his blood-stained lips and smiling softly at him.

"So," the older gentleman said softly as he pulled out a small pocket knife and brandished the blade. "It's time to make your choice." He carved a small `X' on the underside of his wrist and offered it to the blond. "If you drink from me, I promise to love you forever."

Initially, Jou was repulsed by the idea of drinking someone else's blood, but as he felt himself getting sleepier, he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be around to protect Shizuka as she grew up. The moment the first drop of blood hit his tongue, his life as he knew it was over. Sometime after that, he must have passed out, because when he awoke, he was staring into the face of a young man with cruel looking amethyst eyes and long, white hair like Bakura's.

"Fuck," the pale-haired one muttered when Jou blinked his eyes open, ignoring the startled gasp as the blond sat up. "Marduk's brought another fledgling home with him, and this one looks like he should still be in diapers! Great, we get to play nursemaid to another snot-nosed neonate."

A man in his late twenties with a 6-inch royal blue Mohawk and lifeless, grey eyes shoved the other away as he hissed, "Shut the fuck up, Chiang-shih! The kid's been through a lot in the last few hours. At least he's not bawling like a baby and screaming like you were." He knelt down in front of Jou, a small smirk on his lips. "Hey kid. My name's Ronin. How're you feeling?"

"Like shit," Jou replied groggily. "I'm so thirsty, too."

At this, Ronin laughed. "I'm sure you are! Come on, Marduk wanted to talk to you when you awoke. After you see him and meet the others, I'll take you hunting." He helped Jou to his feet and led him from the elaborately decorated bedroom to an elegant salon. 

Jou gasped when he once again saw the stately raven-haired gentleman. Marduk was standing in front of the fireplace, the soft glow from the embers highlighting his already handsome features and giving him an almost ethereal glow. It was strange – seeing the older man filled him with a sense of peace and contentment.

"Ah, Jounouchi, you're awake; and I must say, you now look even more stunning than before." He held his arms open, smiling happily when the blond approached him and nestled his head against his shoulder. "That's right, young one," he whispered gently. "Your Sire loves you as much as you love him." As he wrapped his arm gently around Jou's waist, he beckoned to the others to come into the room. "It's time to meet your older brothers, Jounouchi."

The blond turned slightly in Marduk's arms, watching with mild interest as three other men came into the room and stood beside Ronin. He saw the white-haired man, one who looked to be Ronin's age with a long, purple ponytail and yellow eyes like a cat, and the third had bright crimson spikes and pale blue eyes. Jou frowned as he looked at this last man; his gut was telling him not to trust him.

"I believe you already know Ronin," the raven-haired man began. "The other three are Chiang-shih, Satsu, and Thanatos, my prodigy," he said, gesturing in turn to the three others. "The five of you are my boys, my heirs. And I don't expect there will be any more `incidents', right Chiang-shih?" The white-haired man scowled petulantly but nodded. "Good. Now I want you four to teach Jounouchi; show him our ways, ne? Go on, Jounouchi…go with them."

The blond looked up into Marduk's face and then back at the other four, reluctantly letting go of his Sire and joining them as they went out into the corridor.

"Fucking little whelp," Chiang-shih hissed. "Just like all the others have been. Come here, Puppy; I'll show you who your real master is. And then, when I tire of you, I'll kill you like I did the others." 

"I'm not a fucking dog," Jou said lowly, not meeting the other's eyes. Immediately, he thought of Kaiba and his heart was suddenly filled with an intense ache. Only the stoic brunet could ever, and _would_ ever, get away with calling him by that name.

"No?" Chiang-shih sneered as he grabbed a handful of Jou's hair and jerked his head back so he could look into his eyes. "Then why won't you look at me when I address you, you mongrel? I swear I can see the fear in your eyes; will you tuck your tail between your legs and run, or will you tremble and piss on the floor before your _real_ master?"

Jou's eyes narrowed in anger. "I told you, I'm not a fucking dog!" Before the other could react, the blond drew back a fist and hit the white-haired vampire in the nose, smirking in satisfaction as he felt the bone shift, his grin widening as the deluge of blood began pouring from Chiang-shih's nose. "And, I'm not afraid of you. But if you ever touch me again, I swear I'll kill you." He saw Ronin and Satsu staring at him with surprised expressions on their faces, while Thanatos merely quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

"Looks like this puppy has teeth, eh, Chiang-shih?" Thanatos said as he slipped an arm around Jou's waist and led him out into the night to hunt. It was all the blond could do not to recoil at the touch.

Three weeks later, Jou had firmly established himself in the `family hierarchy'. Thanatos was the obvious leader, and Jou's little display on the first night, coupled with his eagerness to learn and his cold, calculating disposition, had quickly catapulted him into second place, much to Chiang-shih's obvious displeasure. He was also Marduk's clear favourite, as he was most frequently the one invited to cuddle with the Sire when the coven was gathered together. And, on several occasions, Jou had even been allowed to partake of his master's blood while the sire drank from him, ultimately creating a special and unique bond between them. This did not sit well with Thanatos, who had up until then, been the most treasured.

As the crimson-haired man's jealousy grew, so did Jou's alienation from his `brothers'. Thanatos had aspirations beyond what Marduk was willing to give him, and rather than wait, one night he decided to take his prize by force. When Jou awoke that night, he found the manor eerily quiet, which disturbed him greatly. Being the `youngest', he was always the last to rise, as his fledgling body seemed to require more sleep. As he stretched, he frowned. Something didn't feel right.

He entered the parlour looking for Marduk, and he froze in his tracks at the sight before him. The room had been stripped of all furniture and draperies save for a single high-backed chair in the centre of the room. His beloved Sire was chained to it with heavy, iron shackles and he seemed unable to move. "Sire?" Jou called softly, a relieved sigh escaping him when the elder lifted his head, a small, gentle smile on his lips as he looked at the blond. "What happened? You should be able to break those chains easily! I've seen you do it before!"

"I weakened him, Jounouchi," Thanatos sneered as he stepped from the shadows and stared icily at the blond, his lips stained crimson with blood and a garish smile on his face. "Now his power runs through my veins, too. It seems like such a waste for him to die in vain, ne?"

"You son of a bitch!" Jou shouted, feeling tears of rage welling up in his eyes. "You'd better not kill him, or I'll rip your heart out!" 

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him, Jounouchi," Thanatos replied silkily as he licked his lips in delight. He narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze upon the blond. "You are."

Jou let out a loud bark of laughter. "You're fucking crazy, Thanatos. I'm not going to do your dirty work for you. I'll sacrifice my life for Marduk's if I have to, just so he can have the pleasure of killing you himself, you backstabbing asshole!"

"Oh, but I think you will." Thanatos nodded, and Chiang-shih stepped into the light, a malicious grin on his face as he held Shizuka in his arms. "You see, _Mutt_ , I finally learned how to master you. I just needed to find your proper motivation. Now, you're going to kill Marduk, or I'll kill your sister and the pathetic, old man right here while you watch, and _then_ I'll kill you."

Jou glanced over at Shizuka. Her eyes were glassy and she had a strange, almost silly, grin on her face. He could smell the alcohol and…something sweet that he couldn't identify. A slight frown crept across his face as he looked at his sister. Turning back to the redhead, he slowly shook his head. "No, I won't do it. I can't place it, but I know you've poisoned Shizuka. She'll be dead by morning, if not sooner…right?"

Thanatos rolled his eyes. "Fuck, you've got a damned nose like a dog, too. I thought for sure the vodka would cover up the strychnine. And yes, she's probably got ten more minutes at the most…but doesn't she at least look happy?" He chuckled darkly, and then nodded to Chiang-shih, who growled in pleasure before sinking his fangs into the young girl's throat.

Shizuka didn't protest; she didn't even cry out as the pale-haired man feasted on her and then carelessly tossed her body aside, a small lopsided grin curving across his own features as his body worked to metabolize the toxin.

"Shi-chan!" Jou cried out as he tried to lunge at Thanatos, growling in frustration as he felt two pairs of hands grab his wrists and yank him back, forcing him into a kneeling position. He whipped his head around to see Ronin on one side and Satsu on the other, restraining him. "So, you two betrayed our Sire, too," he spat as he struggled in vain against the other two.

"I'm sorry, Jounouchi," Ronin said softly as both he and Satsu knelt behind him, immobilizing his legs. 

The blond glared into his grey eyes. "You will be," he snarled, and then he turned his attention back to Thanatos. "What you've done is unforgivable."

"No, Jounouchi," the crimson haired man replied, a cold, arrogant smirk on his face. "What I'm doing is spring cleaning – you know, out with the old, and in with the new?" He picked up the fireplace poker and approached Jou. "But first, it's time to take out the trash. You do know that only three things can kill us, right, Brother? One is decapitation…but that's so much work for the mess involved. The second is fire, and the third is sunlight." With a sadistic smile, he rammed the fireplace poker through Jou's chest, a triumphant gleam in his eye when he saw the blond's surprised expression and heard him cry out in agony. "Don't worry," he whispered. "This won't kill you, but it will keep you weak enough that you can't do much of anything except lie there and bleed. And you haven't fed yet tonight, have you? Hmm…that truly is a shame." Thanatos twisted the poker, causing another rivulet of blood to pour from the wound and over his hand to dribble down Jou's chest. With a nod to Ronin and Satsu, who released their hold on the blond, he beckoned Chiang-shih over.

"I owe you one, you worthless cur," the white haired man hissed as he kicked the blond in the face with the toe of his steel-toed boot, laughing when he heard the bone crack. "Consider us even." He paused, and then stared down at the blond at his feet. "And by the way, your sister was a terrible fuck. All she did was moan like a whore as she screamed for you."

"Asshole," Jou murmured through an agonized groan. "You'll be the first to die…" He trailed off, a pained expression on his face. 

"And who's going to kill me? The pathetic, little Puppy?" Chiang-shih taunted, his amethyst eyes glinting malevolently as he, too, twisted the poker, eliciting another anguished cry from the blond.

"Satisfied?" Thanatos asked coolly as the white-haired one moved to stand with the other two. When Chiang-shih nodded, he turned to the broken form on the ground. "A child. You're nothing but a weak, pitiful child, Jounouchi. You're strong, but you'll never have true power." He turned to look out the large picture window, and he laughed again. "But never let it be said that I'm not a romantic at heart. You and your Sire will at least get to experience the magic of one last sunrise before your pathetic existence is wiped from the earth permanently." He licked the blood from his fingers and smiled. "Now I understand why Marduk chose you – your essence is sweet. It's too bad…I would have enjoyed having you as my bitch." Thanatos cast a cruel look towards his Sire, and almost as an afterthought said, "Still, it seems such a waste to simply discard such a rare and delectable morsel. I'd treat myself, but I already have the _Sire's_ blood in my veins tonight. Chiang-shih, how about you? Do you want to taste ambrosia?"

The white-haired man snorted derisively. "Fuck no. I'd starve before I'd pollute myself with the blood of a mutt."

Thanatos quirked an eyebrow. "Your tastes have always been questionable, Brother, so I choose not to be offended. But in future, I'd suggest you watch your tone around me." After staring down Chiang-shih, he turned to Ronin and Satsu. "Would either of you care to indulge?" When both shook their heads, he sighed in mock-exasperation. " _Fine_. Just before sunrise, I'm sure I'll be looking for a snack."

With a pained groan, Jou tried to sit up, and then fell back against the blood-soaked rug. "You'd better kill me here and now, Thanatos, and make sure the job is done, because you will pay for what you've done tonight."

"Shut up, Jounouchi," Thanatos hissed, giving the blond another kick to the face. "You're nothing but a yapping, annoying dog who doesn't know his place, and it will be a cold day in hell before you ever beat me at anything." Following the other three men, the redhead turned on his heel, leaving the blond and Marduk alone in the parlour. 

From behind the closed door, Jou heard Thanatos tell Ronin and Satsu to stand guard on the off chance that either one of them managed to get free. He glanced up at his wounded Sire, and felt tears of shame prickling the corners of his eyes. "I'm so sorry this happened to you and that I couldn't stop them," he sobbed, the pain in his voice a combination of the physical and emotional trauma he felt. "I _knew_ Thanatos was a piece of shit, and I should have been on guard tonight when I sensed something was wrong." Jou looked into Marduk's warm, dark eyes, his tears still running down his cheeks. "I don't know how," he whispered, "But I will have my revenge for what they've done." 

"Hush, young one," Marduk soothed, speaking to Jou for the first time that evening. "Don't blame yourself. I was blind to Thanatos' jealousy and thirst for power. I should have destroyed him years ago, and now I'm paying the price for my carelessness." A smile curved across the elder's face. "But I was right about you, Jounouchi. You were loyal to me to the end, even when faced with your own demise. And for that, you shall be rewarded, my sweet one. Come here, Jounouchi, and let me help you." 

The blond tried to move towards his Sire, but the indescribable pain caused him to once again collapse on the rug. His amber eyes flicked over to the chair. It was still a good ten feet to his Sire. He'd moved perhaps six inches. With trembling fingers, he brought his hands up to the poker and tried to pull the offending piece of iron from his chest, but the resulting change in tension sent a new wave of pain through him and his arms fell weakly to his side. " _Fuck_!" Jou cried out in frustration, a determined expression suddenly darkening his features. Gritting his teeth, he made a clumsy lunge towards the chair, tears flowing freely from his eyes with this new wave of agony. He shakily stretched his arm out and was barely able to ghost the tips of his fingers across the sole of Marduk's shoe.

Jou could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. His most recent movement had once again shifted the poker and further torn his wound. His blood was now pouring rapidly from the hole in his chest, and Jou knew that if he lost it all, he would cease to exist. "Shit," he whimpered. "If I could just pull this fucking piece of metal out of my chest, I might have a chance. But I'm too weak to even move it." His voice raspy, Jou pleaded, "Sire, you can still move your feet, ne? You're going to have to take it out for me." With the last of his strength, he managed to move himself along the floor so that the handle was at Marduk's feet.

"Resourceful, too," the raven-haired gentleman crooned. "Yes, I was definitely right about you. Try to stay still, young one," he continued as he caught the handle of the poker between his feet, eliciting a small hiss of pain from the blond.

It proved to be exceedingly difficult to remove the iron rod. When Thanatos had impaled him, it had been right to the hilt, and the excess blood from Jou's moving had only succeeded in making the polished brass handle exceptionally slippery. Nevertheless, Marduk finally succeeded in slowly backing the handle out enough to hook the tips of his shoes along the slight protrusion of the grip and begin the arduous process of removing the iron spear.

Jou bit his lip to stifle the pained scream welling up in his throat. Going in, the strike had been quick, clean and efficient. As the rod was slowly worked out inch by inch, it wobbled sloppily, causing him further agony. He suddenly felt as if a two tonne weight had been lifted from his chest, and he knew that the poker was out. Angrily, he swatted the wrought iron piece away from him and lay on his back, panting breathlessly. He could feel his wounds healing, but the process was unbearably slow due to his incredible blood loss. He blinked his eyes open and tremulously got to his knees, crawling to where his sire sat and resting his head upon the older man's lap. "Thank you," he whispered, feeling at peace once again. After a few more minutes, Jou felt some of his strength returning. He knew he still wouldn't be able to break the chains, but he was able to destroy enough of the chair to allow Marduk to slip free, though the shackles still encircled his wrists. 

Marduk brought his hands up to softly stroke the blond tresses splayed out against his thigh. "My precious, beautiful one," he murmured softly as he trailed a finger down Jou's cheek. "My search is finally over. I've found my heir, and now I can rest."

"But what about Thanatos and the others? You have to avenge yourself for what they did to you!"

At this, the older man chuckled. "No, Jounouchi. I'm tired, and now that I've found my heir, I have no interest in vengeance. I can finally sleep."

Jou's eyes widened as he looked up into his master's dark, expressive eyes. "What are you saying, Marduk? Are you giving up on me?" Tears once again threatened as he was hit with the full force of his sire's words.

Again, Marduk chuckled. "Giving up on you? Never, young one. I'm just making sure that you're equipped with the tools you are going to need in the future." He smiled kindly, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on the blond's forehead. "Do you remember when we first met, how I told you I was old? I have walked this earth for over 4000 years. Perhaps you recognized my name as an ancient Babylonian god? I was so impertinent in my youth." At this, he laughed outright. "But there isn't much time left, and I have so much to tell. You shall become the sole heir to my fortune and to everything I've amassed over the millennia." He pressed an elegant sapphire ring into the blond's hand. "My fortune is kept in a Swiss bank account, and has been so for many centuries. The staff have been told that every few decades, a man will show up bearing this ring, indicating that he is the rightful heir to the wealth kept inside. For countless centuries now, it has simply been me; I'm glad to finally be able to give them a new face. Oh, this must also be brought with you…" He reached into his shirt and slipped a long, silver chain from around his neck and showed the pendant to Jou. "This dragon represents me. I was known to the Babylonians as the dragon-god Marduk, among other things, and this winged serpent was my symbol. This, coupled with the blood bond we share, means that even when I'm gone, a part of me will always be with you. As long as you love me and keep me next to your heart, I will never truly leave you."

Jou couldn't keep his tears from falling as he slipped the chain over his head and slid the ring onto the middle finger of his left hand. "But Sire, I –"

"Father, Jounouchi. You are now my son and I am your father."

At these words, Jou let out an audible sob. " _Father_ , I don't want you to leave me. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

Marduk smiled gently. "That's not true, my son. I know there is one other who occupies your thoughts. I've heard you call his name in dreams and sensed it from you when we're together. He, too, is your dragon."

"Seto," Jou whispered softly. "But he doesn't love me."

"Are you sure about that, Child? The dragon wouldn't have found its way to your heart if it felt no compulsion to do so. Now come, take the last of my blood; it will help you heal and give you strength, just as it has every time I've shared it with you. When you've finished, don't stay here and mourn me. Just know that I love you."

Unable to keep the bitter tears from falling, Jou climbed into Marduk's lap, brushing a soft kiss across the elder man's lips before he bent his head lower and sank his fangs into his neck, a low, satisfied growl escaping his lips as he drained the last bit of life from the man who had loved him, who had called him `Son'. Pulling away with a savage roar, he bid a silent farewell to the elder gentleman, and then knelt down beside the lifeless body of his sister. Tenderly, the blond brushed her bangs from her forehead and closed her eyes. "It's funny, Shi-chan," he murmured as he gazed impassively at the petite form. "I agreed to this life so I could protect you, but I never really did anything for you. In fact, if I'd agreed to die that night, you'd still be alive. Strange how things worked out, ne?" Jou didn't look back, didn't give his sister another thought, his mind and his heart wandering back to the stately, older gentleman as he quietly slipped out the unlocked window and took refuge in an old, abandoned stone shed on the property. He cried himself to sleep over his loss, and the next evening as he stole back into the manor and grabbed a katana from Marduk's armoury, fresh tears of hurt and anger coursing down his cheeks, he swore that they would be the last he would shed until he'd avenged both himself and his Father.


	5. Chapter Five

Jou hurriedly parked his car along the main street of Domino, giving his head a small shake to clear the memories as he climbed from the car. He was beyond hungry by this time and, coupled with his annoyance at Seto and the pain he felt in his heart at the remembrance of his Sire, he was not in a pleasant mood. He had just started to walk towards one of the seedier areas of town, when he happened to run into a group of three drunk and obnoxious frat boys.

"Hey! Hey, ass wipe!" the largest one of the bunch called. "You supposed to be a biker? Or are you someone's bitch? If so, the queer bar's two blocks over." The other two laughed uproariously at this, and Jou simply stared impatiently at the man in the centre, noting from the lettering on his football jacket that his name was Kataki.

"Back off. If you know what's good for you, you'll let it go," Jou said warningly.

"That what your boyfriend says to you when you're pumping away on his dick?" Kataki retorted, again to gales of laughter from his friends.

Jou shook his head as he growled irritably. "Fuckers. I'm so not in the mood for this shit tonight." Before any of the group could react, Jou had attacked the two flanking men, easily knocking them out with a couple of well-placed punches. Kataki tried to run, but Jou was infinitely quicker and had caught him within three paces, slamming the irksome man's head against the bricks as he gripped him by the throat, eliciting a pained whimper from him. Now, as he stared at the brunet male, he could see the fear in his eyes. The blond looked his captive up and down. He was about six inches taller than him, and easily outweighed Jou by at least one hundred pounds. With a slight lick of his lips, he stared into the wide, green eyes. As a rule, he tried not to hunt in the general population, preferring to stick to the seamier parts of town where few, if any, questions would be asked. But this one – Jou figured if his food was stupid enough to come looking for trouble, who was he to argue? "You chose the wrong guy to pick a fight with, jackass," Jou purred silkily, keeping his hand around the man's throat and forcing him down onto his knees. "Looks like your fighting days are over, my friend," he grinned, laughing outright when the young man saw his fangs and tried to struggle. Slowly, the blond crouched down in front of Kataki and, feeling particularly sadistic at the moment, made no effort to calm his victim down, instead relishing in the way the brunet tried to fight him, and then resorted to crying and begging for his life when Jou sank his teeth into the soft flesh of his neck.

After Jou had finished feeding, he released his hold on the large brunet, noting with some amusement that Kataki had wet himself in fright. "Pathetic," Jou sneered as he pushed the heavy body away from him, pausing for a moment to close his eyes and try to recollect their usual haunts. He remembered Thanatos had a penchant for hookers and strippers, often throwing large sums of money at them, and then taking them somewhere to screw before he killed them. Jou figured that old habits would die hard, and so, after grabbing the tire iron from the trunk of his car and stashing it in the inside pocket of his coat, he headed towards the strip joints and dive bars of the inner city. Walking along the broken pavement, he was reminded of the countless times he'd been dragged into such places as a boy, and occasionally even offered up for sale to `special friends'. And, when he passed his old man's favourite bar, he couldn't help the feeling of disgust that ran through him. 

He came up empty-handed at the first three `establishments', but when he went into the fourth, a trashy, little strip club called, `Love Muffin', he felt a ripple of pleasure travel down his spine, but it wasn't caused by the `entertainment'. In the far corner, with a scantily clad stripper perched in his lap, sat Thanatos. The redhead was completely oblivious to Jou's presence as he sat and chatted up the young girl. In disgust, Jou sat down at one of the darkened corner tables and surreptitiously watched the scene unfolding in front of him. Jou could tell the exact moment when the girl had fallen under the spell of Thanatos' charisma, and when the pair got up and walked out arm in arm, Jou followed.

The red haired man walked over to a parked red Mazda Miata and climbed into the passenger seat, inviting his female companion into his lap before he closed the door. Jou watched from the doorway of the club, and when he saw that the two were caught up in the heat of the moment, he carefully approached the car. Thanatos had his eyes closed, his lips curved up into a pleasured snarl. He was quickly nearing his release. The girl, too, had her eyes closed and was avidly riding the redhead's cock, the small mewls and moans coming from her very reminiscent of a porn star.

The blond felt a surge of excitement course through his body. Finally, after four years, he was going to repay Thanatos for his treachery. In one lithe movement, he flung the door open, grabbed the girl by the wrist and tossed her to the sidewalk. "Hi Honey," he sneered as he drew back his fist and punched his `older brother' square in the face. "Miss me?" 

Thanatos howled in rage, both from the pain of Jou's shot, and the disappointment of having been denied not only his release, but also his prize. "Jounouchi," he hissed, glaring at the blond as he tried to stem the flow of blood from his nose. 

"Oh, Thanatos, I'm disappointed," Jou mock-pouted. "Is that any way to treat your brother after four years apart? And here I brought you a gift, too!" Before the other could react, Jou plunged the tire iron through the redhead's chest and felt it lodge in the seat back, taking no small amount of pleasure from the agonized cry that was torn from the other's mouth.

"Hey, you fucking psycho!" the stripper shouted at Jou as she struggled to her feet. "I'm calling the cops!" She started to run down the sidewalk, but her six-inch stilettos kept her from moving overly quickly.

Jou cast a quick glance at the wounded Thanatos, and then easily caught the stripper, dragging her back to the car by her hair. She whimpered and tried to pull away, but Jou only yanked her closer and whispered coldly in her ear, "Try to escape again, or try to scream and I'll break your neck without thinking twice." When she gave him a terrified nod in return, he pushed her against the rear fender of the vehicle and ordered her to stay put. Sinking to her knees as tears began to roll down her cheeks, she nodded again. Knowing that the girl wouldn't cause him any more problems for the time being, Jou turned his attention back to Thanatos. After rolling down the window, Jou nudged the door shut with his hip and leaned cockily on the frame. "I see you still don't have any taste. Cheap and slutty, like usual."

"Fuck you, Jounouchi," Thanatos rasped. "I don't know how you escaped that night, but if a pathetic nothing like you can do it, it should be easy for someone with my skills."

"And I don't know how you managed to get out of the manor before I could get my hands on you, you worthless piece of shit. Was it Ronin or Satsu that tipped you off? I know it wasn't Chiang-shih, because he looked completely surprised when my blade sliced through his throat. There's no way that asshole was once a master fighter."

"Go fuck yourself," the redhead rasped, howling once again when Jou twisted the tire iron deeper into Thanatos' flesh. 

"Doesn't matter anyway," Jou responded calmly. "I killed them, too. You're the only one who's managed a stay of execution, and that's just because you had enough sense to skip town. Too bad you're stupid and predictable. You've been back for what? Six hours; maybe eight? You should have stayed away, because tonight, you die."

"You're still nothing but a weak fledgling. Do you really think you can kill me?"

The blond shrugged as he stood up and stretched lithely. "I don't think it. I know it. One thing does bother me, though." He looked down into the hate-filled blue eyes and asked, "Why Seto? There's no way he was just some random hit – he's not your type, and you didn't even drink from him."

At this, Thanatos laughed, a dark, mirthless chuckle. "You really are stupid, Jounouchi. This goes way beyond what you think you know. Your little toy might have survived this night, but he's in for a world of hurt. He probably doesn't even know it, but he's messed with one of the big boys, and he's working on borrowed time."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Seto _is_ the big boy in town."

"Not this time. Kaiba Seto has been a thorn in someone's side for far too long. And when he comes calling, Kaiba's going to wish he'd have died by my hand," Thanatos sneered, his eyes narrowing as his lips curved up into a malevolent grin. "Still, it was _such_ a rush to see your boy on his knees _begging_ me for his life. I hope he's worth dying for, Jounouchi."

Jou scowled, his eyes blazing with unspoken anger. "Fucking liar," he hissed as he drew his knife and nicked the redhead's jugular vein, his eyes glinting with smug satisfaction as the blood began to pour freely from the wound. And, as he dipped his finger into the gash and daintily licked the crimson fluid from the digit, he smirked disdainfully. "Seto would never beg a piece of shit like you for anything. And, not that you'd understand the concept, but I love him. I'd gladly give my own life for his, just like I would have for Marduk."

"Then you're a fool. You know this won't kill me, Puppy," Thanatos said thickly. "Within twenty minutes, this gash will be healed, and when I get free, I'll repay this favour tenfold."

"I know it won't," the blond replied matter-of-factly. "That's why I'm going to set you on fire, too. As you told me yourself, that's one way to permanently get rid of you." He patted Thanatos on his head, ruffling his hair and drawing an angry snarl from the redhead. "See, unlike you, I'm not some pansy that's afraid to get his hands dirty. If you'd had the balls to see your plan through four years ago, we wouldn't be having this conversation now. I…" Jou staggered backwards a step as he felt a stinging pain in his abdomen and looked down to see a rivulet of blood flowing from a small hole just below his sternum. Quizzically, he glanced over at the petite stripper and saw her pointing a small revolver at him, her hands beginning to tremble as Jou continued to remain standing. "Now _that_ just wasn't nice," he said irritably as he hauled the woman to her feet by her hair and grabbed the gun from her. "Oh, for fuck's sake – a .22?" He dropped the revolver into the gutter and, with an annoyed growl, he savagely brought his fangs down into her throat, tearing the flesh as he quickly drained her of her life force. As her inanimate body dropped awkwardly to the sidewalk, Jou wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then patted Thanatos on the shoulder. "Don't go anywhere; I'll be right back." A sadistic smile on his lips, the blond crossed the now-deserted street and stood in front of the closed liquor store. After breaking the cheap lock on the security gate, he went inside, returning a few moments later with a case of 181-proof Jamaican rum.

"It's funny," Jou said as he knelt down beside the window and began unscrewing the lid from the first bottle. "My old man was a drunk, and I never thought the bastard would teach me anything. But, I do remember his lesson on alcohol proof. After getting a kick to the ribs for bringing back the wrong thing, and then mouthing off to him about how if it was so fucking important, why the hell didn't he just go himself, I learned more than I ever wanted to about it. It's funny what you remember, isn't it?" He emptied the bottle in Thanatos' lap, and then tossed the empty bottle into the back seat, quickly uncapping another and dumping it, too, in the redhead's lap. He reached inside the car and unbuttoned Thanatos' shirt, gasping in surprise when he saw a dragon medallion similar to his own around the other's neck. "Where the fuck did you get this?" he whispered as he gently fingered the polished silver, his other hand instinctively reaching up to touch his own. He scowled when the redhead remained defiantly silent. "I don't care, really. You lost all claim to what this represents when you betrayed my father." Jou grabbed the pendant in his fist and tore it from Thanatos' neck, and then emptied the third bottle, soaking the crimson spikes, and watching as the sweet, amber liquid matted the hair down.

These words broke the redhead's silence. "Father?" he spat derisively. "Only a worthless whelp like you would call him by such a name."

"He was a far better father than you were a brother," Jou replied simply, his body trembling with silent rage at Thanatos' words. 

"You won't kill me Jounouchi. I'm all you have left."

"Keep telling yourself that, Thanatos." He poured two more bottles onto the incapacitated man, and with the sixth, he ran a trail along the window ledge and across the hood. "Too bad I can only kill you once," he said as he stood at the bumper with the partial bottle still in his hand. Pulling a Zippo lighter from his pocket, he struck the flint and then touched the flame to the alcohol trail, watching with interest as the fire quickly skated along its set path, eagerly engulfing the passenger compartment in blue flame. 

As the first tendrils licked hungrily at Thanatos' flesh, he screamed in a combination of terror and agony, the small Miata erupting into a raging inferno. Within moments, the heat had become so intense that the glass had cracked and broke, and the steel had begun to warp. Wordlessly, Jou crossed the street and sat on a worn bus stop bench as he watched the car burn. He squeezed the small medallion that was still clasped in his hand as a single tear ran down his cheek. `It took me four years, but finally, I've avenged you, Father,' he thought, the flickering light reflecting the haunted look in his eyes. After about twenty minutes, most of the combustible material in the Miata had burned, and all that remained was a smouldering shell. Jou stood beside the burnt husk, his expression dark as he looked at the ashen form of Thanatos. Scooping up a handful of the cinders, he scattered it to the wind. `I can finally try to put my past behind me,' he thought, letting out a weary sigh as the emotional weight of all that had happened finally hit him. `Now I just have to make sure Seto is safe.' He looked up at the twilight sky and frowned. The night was quickly waning, and he still needed to check in on the brunet. Carefully stuffing the pendant in his jacket pocket, he made his way back to his car, speeding away into the darkness towards his love.

The cottage was quiet when Jou pulled into the drive and, given the late hour, the blond assumed that Seto would be sleeping. Silently, he made his way to the bedroom, a pleasantly surprised smile crossing his lips when he saw that the brunet was awake and reading the book he'd left on the armchair earlier in the evening. "I didn't think you'd still be awake," Jou said softly as his eyes drank in the vision before him. The brunet's chestnut locks were slightly tousled, and his sapphire eyes were bright and alert. However, the dark circles under his eyes seemed even heavier than when he'd left, and his skin looked even paler than normal. When Kaiba didn't answer him, he crossed the room and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. Jou could sense that the brunet's pulse was still rapid and shallow, as was his breathing, and he frowned in concern. "Have you even slept at all tonight?" Jou demanded as he gently grabbed the brunet's chin in his hand and turned his head to meet his gaze. "You look like shit; worse than when I left you."

"What are you? My mother?" the brunet replied tartly. "I haven't had a scheduled bedtime since I was twelve years old, and I sure as hell don't need _you_ telling me what to do."

The blond sighed in exasperation. "Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass all the time? Excuse me for giving a damn. I didn't have to come back to you, you know!" 

"Why did you come back?" Kaiba snapped suddenly, his voice cold. "You're not exactly what I consider to be my salvation for an otherwise shitty day! For some reason, I'm suddenly on the vampire top ten list, according to your `expert opinion', I'm at death's door, I haven't been able to contact my company to let them know that I'm ok, and I sure as hell don't understand why you've developed a sudden interest in KaibaCorp if you have no intentions of taking it over!"

"I don't know everything that's going on yet, Seto, but believe me when I tell you that I only have your best interest at heart." With a sigh, he stood up and looked seriously at Kaiba. "Promise me that you'll spend the day resting. I'll come back tomorrow night, but for now, I need to sleep."

"Where are you going?" the brunet asked, trying to sound disinterested as he nestled further down into the pillow. "This is your room, ne?"

"It is," Jou replied, a small smile on his lips. "But I don't think it would be a good idea for me to stay here right now." He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Kaiba's forehead. "You know I love you more than anything, but right now, I don't trust you not to try to kill me," he murmured lowly, letting his head drop lower to brush his mouth across the brunet's. "And with how good you taste, I don't trust myself not to do the same to you," he purred, running his tongue slowly along Kaiba's lips, and then kissing along his jaw line to his throat. "Although, with the pleasure I'd give you, it'd be a hell of a way to die, ne?" He chuckled throatily against the brunet's pulse point, pleased at the tremulous shudder he drew from Kaiba. "Care to give it a try?" he teased.

"Jounouchi…" Kaiba murmured, his hostility dissolving as he once again succumbed to the pleasured sensations that only the blond's touch could instill in him. "Please, don't leave me…" 

"I must, Beloved," Jou said gently as he pulled away from the brunet and smiled softly at him. "Maybe tomorrow night, if you're still interested, I'll love you the way you deserve. Until then, take care of yourself, Seto. I'd hate to come back to a corpse."


	6. Chapter Six

When Jou awoke the next night, he found that returning to his Father's home had not bothered him near as much as he had thought it would. He had not set foot inside since that fateful night four years ago when he had slain his three brothers, preferring instead to haunt the small servant's cottage located on the far side of the property. After rising and luxuriating in a languid stretch, he spent some time in his old room looking through the things he had left behind, and noting with vague interest just how frequently Marduk's dragon had been surreptitiously woven into the various tapestries decorating the room and worked into the carvings on his bedposts. He picked up a couple of trinkets from his bureau, and before he left, he made his way to the master bedroom, carefully stepping inside with a kind of reverent awe. 

The room was exactly as he had remembered it, and with a wistful smile, he approached the ornate rosewood jewellery box that sat on a small credenza; the one that Marduk had stored his sapphire ring in during the day while he slept, the one Jou now wore on his own hand. He reached for the lid, and then stopped, an annoyed frown on his face. The silver filigree that had been inlaid in the top had been pried from its setting, and the clasp on the box had been carelessly left open, all of the valuables contained therein long since taken. The blond searched his jacket pocket and pulled out the medallion he had retrieved from Thanatos the previous night, and he looked at it more closely. It was larger and thicker than his, and when he laid it over the marred wood, he saw that it fit perfectly in the space. Jou scowled as he put two and two together. The night that Thanatos had killed Marduk, he had obviously been looking for the necessary pieces that would identify him as the rightful heir to the family fortune. Apparently, when he had not been able to find what he had needed, he had opted to make a counterfeit one. Fortunately, the redhead had not succeeded with his plan, and Jou gave a pleased smirk knowing that, once again, Thanatos had been denied. Knowing he needed to check on Kaiba, he returned the medallion to his pocket and headed outside.

As he made the short walk down the overgrown path to where the brunet was convalescing, he wondered if he might not consider moving back into the main house after all. Either that, or simply raze everything, sell the land, and move into a large condo in the city to be closer to his love. A small smile played across his lips at the thought of the brunet, and he felt a little surge of happiness flood through him. But when he stepped inside the cottage, he frowned. Kaiba was gone, and it was obvious to the blond that he had been for some time.

"Stupid, stubborn, arrogant ass!" Jou growled under his breath as he turned on his heel and stood on the small porch, his arms folded across his chest in irritation. "No food, no water, no rest, inappropriate clothing, and weak. Fucking perfect." The blond's lips curved further downwards as he called petulantly to the night, "I should leave you to _die_ for your pride. After all, you've made it clear that you'd prefer it over me, ne?" He turned back to the cottage and reached for the door handle, intent on putting all thoughts of Kaiba Seto out of his mind, when he suddenly felt a faint ache in his heart. "Shit," he cursed softly as he leaned his head against the worn wooden door. "I _know_ you love me too, even if you're too scared to admit it." A frustrated growl rumbled low in his throat as Jou took off into the woods. "Until I hear the reason from your own lips, I can't just abandon you."

Once he was further into the forest, Jou paused for a moment to close his eyes and sniff lightly at the air like a hound trying to find a scent. He took a couple of tentative steps in one direction and then, narrowing his eyes slightly as a triumphant smirk crept across his features, he whispered, "Gotcha." Making his way through the dense underbrush, Jou seemed to instinctively know that the brunet was close by. This thought sent a ripple of worry through him. Either Kaiba had gotten desperately lost and had spent the majority of his time going around in circles, or he was in worse shape than he had been the previous evening. Jou could feel Kaiba's presence, and after he jumped over a small, shallow creek and climbed the embankment he saw the brunet. Kaiba was leaning against a large oak tree, his knees huddled up around his chest, and he was shivering uncontrollably. Jou's heart once again melted as he saw the frustration and confusion warring for control behind Kaiba's sapphire eyes. "Damn it, Seto, why do you keep trying to run from me?" Jou asked sadly as he pulled the brunet to his feet. "Jesus Christ, your body is like ice and you're burning up with fever. Look at you; what the hell were you thinking going out like this?" He shrugged out of his leather jacket and wrapped it around Kaiba's body.

"What about you?" the brunet asked through chattering teeth, looking at Jou, who was clad only in a thin, black t-shirt and his leather pants. 

The blond chuckled in amusement. "The cold doesn't bother me; not in the way it does you, anyway. Now tell me, what possessed you to leave the warmth and security of my house to wander around in a woodlot?"

"How did you find me?" Kaiba asked in return.

"Don't you remember, Seto?" Jou asked gently, staring into exhausted cobalt eyes. "I told you that I'd claimed you as my own."

Kaiba gave a small gasp of surprise. "No. That wasn't real. It was just a dream I had; nothing more."

"Right. Then how did I know about it, hmm?"

The brunet frowned in confusion. "Maybe I was talking in my sleep last night; or maybe I was half conscious."

"Whatever," Jou said humourlessly as he stared searchingly into Kaiba's eyes. "Then tell me this; if it was just a dream, why do you still wear my mark?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" the brunet asked irritably as he reflexively skated the tip of his tongue along the inside of his mouth, a small gasp escaping him when he felt the tiny welt. "How did I not notice this before?"

The blond smirked. "Come on, Seto. You've convinced yourself that everything I've told you is bullshit, so why would you believe anything else to do with that?"

"And what was real, Jounouchi?" the brunet murmured, finally meeting the intense amber gaze. "How can I believe you when I don't know what was true and what was imagined?" He shivered again, unable to still his trembling.

Jou sighed heavily. "Come here, Seto," the blond soothed, pulling Kaiba into his arms. Whispering in his ear, Jou purred, "Open your heart and your mind to me, Seto, and you'll see what you need to see." He saw the questioning, hesitant look in the brunet's eyes, and Jou smiled softly. Gently stroking his fingers through the auburn tresses he said simply, "You have to trust me. You need to see past the illusion I created in your mind. Try to remember."

Kaiba dropped his head wearily onto the blond's shoulder and closed his eyes. "I was going to KaibaCorp for a…it wasn't the shareholder's meeting, it was to pick up a document I'd left there. When I came back, I dismissed my driver for the evening, and…and I ran into you on the front porch. We went up to my room, and the conversation we had was the same one from my dream. That was when you did this, right?"

"Yes, Seto," Jou replied soothingly. "And then I told you that we would share an indestructible bond, and you fell asleep in my arms."

"But what about what happened afterwards? When you…when we…" A slight flush crept up his pallid cheeks as he glanced at the blond.

"When we what, Seto?" Jou taunted, knowing damned well what had happened `afterwards'. A mischievous smirk crept across his lips as the brunet reddened further. "Shit, that must have been one _hell_ of a good dream to make you blush like that!" he quipped saucily before looking deep into the brunet's sapphire eyes. "God, how I wanted to; more than anything, I wanted you that night, and if you'd been anyone else, I would have just taken you without a second thought. But I need more from you, Seto, more than just your body. I want to love you, not just fuck you, and to do that, it has to go both ways, ne?" Slowly, Jou brought his mouth to Kaiba's, brushing the trembling lips in a gentle kiss.

The brunet could feel his knees weaken slightly from the tender, yet needy, force of Jou's embrace, and it took every ounce of strength remaining in his already exhausted body not to moan wantonly into the blond's mouth. As the kiss ended, Kaiba took a half step back and sank down tiredly onto the ground. He felt so cold and so weak, but knew that he could not permit himself to go to sleep. "Jounouchi…" he murmured dazedly. And then, he once again felt Jou pulling him to his feet and scooping him up in his arms. As his head came to rest on the blond's shoulder, he instinctively nuzzled into Jou's chest, his eyes sliding closed as they made their way out of the forest. "Damn," he muttered, "I was so close to finding my way back."

"Shh," Jou crooned as he carried the brunet back into the bedroom and carefully set the still-shivering body in the bed, tossing his jacket to the floor and covering him with blankets. Crouching down at his side, the blond tenderly ran his fingers along Kaiba's cheek. "We don't have a lot of time, Seto," he said sadly, a small, almost wistful smile on his lips. "Maybe if you'd have stayed inside today, you would have recovered, but you're sick, and I can already feel you slipping away from me. You have to make a choice now, Beloved. Admit you love me and let me save you, or die here alone. You know that I adore you more than anything in the world, but I have no qualms about leaving you here if I mean nothing to you."

"Great options," Kaiba replied dryly. "Death or you."

Jou sighed heavily and stood up. "I don't have the heart or the patience to argue with you anymore, Seto. If you honestly have to think about it, then it's probably better if I just cut my losses and try to forget about you."

As the blond turned his back to him, Kaiba was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea. His first thought was of Mokuba, and how he'd never see him again. And then he thought back to high school and how he'd so easily dismissed his feelings for Jou back then, insisting to himself that he didn't need or want anyone else in his life. For the second time in as many nights, he was being given a second chance. First, he'd been given back his life, and now, he was being presented with another chance at love. All he had to do was let go of his pride and admit that he needed the blond. "Jounouchi, wait!" he called, giving a small sigh of relief when the shorter man turned around and quirked a questioning eyebrow at him. "Ok."

"Ok what?" Jou replied.

"I accept your offer," Kaiba replied stoically.

"My offer?" Jou repeated incredulously before he burst out in a bitter laugh. "Seto, this isn't some fucking business deal where you control the terms and conditions." The blond once again reached for the doorknob.

"You can't just leave me here! I don't want to die alone!" 

Turning back to Kaiba, he narrowed his eyes as he smirked, "Oh, I most assuredly can. If you don't love me, what incentive do I have to save you? I'm not in the business of doing things out of the goodness of my heart. Well, not any more, at least. Besides, I thought you preferred to be by yourself." His expression turned cold as he continued, "I guess you got what you wished for. _If_ you manage to survive the night, which I highly doubt, you'll probably be ok, and I'll bring you home tomorrow."

"Wait!" the brunet called out as he struggled vainly to get to his feet, the desperation evident in his voice. "Don't leave me again…please." The last word came out as a whisper as he bowed his head, feeling the hot tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. Now that he had acknowledged his feelings to himself, Kaiba could feel the full weight of the ache in his heart. It was true; he wanted Jou with him and by his side, more than he'd wanted anything before. "I don't want to be alone," he continued, his voice now a tremulous whisper as a single tear slid down his cheek and dropped onto the quilt.

"Are you asking me for something, Seto?" Jou asked seriously as he looked at the trembling brunet in his bed.

Kaiba turned his pained, cobalt eyes upwards and looked longingly into Jou's face as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "Love me…" he murmured.

"Why should I?" the blond replied coolly, his softening expression belying his tone as he moved slowly towards the bed.

The brunet closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He couldn't do this; he couldn't simply bare his soul to the blond. And then in the next breath, he was pouring out everything he felt in a torrent of words. He told Jou how he cared for him deeply, and had since high school. He confessed that he'd always hoped the blond would make a move on him to assuage his own uncertainties, and when he didn't, Kaiba simply assumed that Jou wasn't interested in him and hardened his heart behind a wall of ridicule and animosity. Finally, he admitted that he'd left that morning because he was hurting, he was confused, and he was feeling overwhelmed by his thoughts and emotions, knowing he needed to get away and get himself back in control. By the time the brunet was finished, his body was shaking with silent sobs and Jou had him cradled against his chest, gently stroking the silky, auburn tresses.

"It's ok, Beloved," Jou murmured as he brushed the bangs from Kaiba's forehead and placed tender, loving kisses on the smooth skin. "I know how you feel. For the past while, I've known. You can't hide your thoughts from me, especially not now. I'm sorry I had to be so harsh with you, but before I could go any further, I needed you to admit your feelings to yourself, for both our sakes." He tipped Kaiba's chin up and looked lovingly into the damp, glistening eyes. "Tell me what I need to hear, Seto." His hands cupped the brunet's cheeks as he brought his mouth down to ghost across the others.

Kaiba's heart was hammering uncontrollably in his chest. He was sure it was a combination of the blond's proximity to him and of the fact that he was about to confess something he'd never uttered to another human being – not even to his own brother. He finally permitted himself to meet Jounouchi's gaze, and he couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped his lips when he saw the sincerity, devotion, and hunger reflected in the vibrant amber. "Jounouchi, I love you," the brunet whispered, suddenly feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his soul.

"Thank you, Seto," Jou breathed as he pressed his lips against Kaiba's, his golden eyes sliding shut as tears of happiness slid down his cheeks. He pulled away and affectionately traced his fingers down the supple curve of the brunet's cheek. "I love you, too," he said after a moment. "I would do anything for you, Seto. Even die for you." Again, Jou stroked the silky, chestnut hair, his expression brimming with adoration for the young man beside him. "Seto, I have to know. Do you believe me? Do you believe the things I've told you?"

"Yes, Jounouchi, I do now. I suspect I did last night, too, when you told me what you were, but I didn't want to believe it." Kaiba gave a small, tired sigh as he folded his hands in his lap. "What happened to the man you were hunting last night?" the brunet asked suddenly.

The blond shrugged noncommittally and said, "I found him and killed him. I wanted to make him suffer more, but dawn was approaching and I had to return to you."

A small shiver ran down the brunet's spine at the cold, emotionless tone Jou's voice had taken on. "Was he worth risking your life for?" Kaiba murmured.

The blond scowled. "The fact that he tried to harm you was reason enough for him to die, but he's the son of a bitch that killed my father."

"Your father?" Kaiba repeated. "I thought you and he didn't get along. At least, from what I can remember hearing in high school." 

A small smile curved Jou's lips upwards, softening his expression. "Not my old man, my father – my sire," he explained as he pulled the silver medallion out from under his shirt and showed it to the brunet. "I loved him almost as much as I love you, and he was needlessly sacrificed because Thanatos was an impatient, power hungry piece of shit." He saw the brunet shiver again, and his expression grew serious once more. "Are you still cold, Seto?"

Kaiba nodded. "Very."

"Shit," Jou muttered, running his fingers through his tousled blond locks in frustration. "Your body's starting to shut down on me already. I thought I'd have a couple more hours at least." He picked up the brunet's hand, wincing slightly at the coolness of the skin before placing a gentle kiss on the top. "I won't force this on you, Seto; are you sure that this is what you want?"

Kaiba gave a small nod. "I don't want to be alone," he iterated, a slight tremor to his voice.

A loving grin on his face, Jou slid onto the edge of the bed and, propping himself up on one elbow, he stretched out languorously beside the brunet. Carefully, he skated one hand along Kaiba's chest, feeling the taller man tense slightly at his touch. "It's ok, Seto; don't be afraid. I'm going to bring you over to my side now, but just remember that once I start, if you ask me to stop, you will die." He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on the brunet's lips, then smiled warmly at him.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kaiba asked as he curiously eyed the blond's canine teeth, not seeing anything really extraordinary about them. "Are you going to bite my neck?" Hesitantly, the brunet reached out a hand as if to touch them, and then promptly withdrew it, looking apprehensively at Jou.

"Most of the time, they look like any other human's teeth, only a bit longer and sharper. They're retractable, like a cat's claws," Jou explained. "I'm not sure how it works exactly, but it's a reflex – no different than moving your hand or walking." When Kaiba gave a small nod of acknowledgement, the blond chuckled in amusement. "And no, I'm not going to bite your neck. If you were food, I probably would, but only because of the convenience factor." Jou eyed the brunet with a lecherous smirk and added, "Besides, there are much more fun places I'd rather bite you."

Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise at this, and as he met Jou's smoky, lustful gaze, he asked, "Do you remember…does it hurt much?"

"A little bit," Jou answered honestly as he lovingly stroked along the brunet's cheek, trailing his fingers down to Kaiba's throat. "But the pleasure far outweighs the pain, I promise you that," he murmured as he shifted his position slightly to slip under the covers with the brunet and straddle his hips. "Arms up."

Kaiba did as he was told, shivering slightly when Jou pulled the borrowed t-shirt up and over his head. His discomfort quickly evaporated when he felt Jou's mouth descend onto his, the skilful tongue deftly probing at the brunet's lips and easily slipping inside. At the first taste of the blond, Kaiba let out a soft moan, a surge of pleasure rushing straight for his groin at the contact. Instinctively, he arched his hips against Jou, his hands sliding up and around the blond's torso to caress the well-defined back muscles.

"Oh fuck, Seto," Jou groaned hungrily. "Hunting is always exciting, but it's so much better when the other person is willing." He trailed a line of tender, needy kisses along Kaiba's jaw line, and then deliberately skipped over his throat to drag his tongue sensually across the brunet's collarbone. "God, your skin tastes so good, and seeing you lying there, so willing, so beautiful, it's driving me wild. I've always loved the way you look, but when you're aroused, it's breathtaking." Jou dragged his hands up his love's body, gently massaging the firm biceps on Kaiba's arms before continuing up to cup his cheeks before kissing him deeply again. As he broke the kiss, the blond's amber eyes were dark with passion and blazing with need. "I love you, Seto. More than anything, I love you." Deftly, Jou skated his body along the other's, moving to kneel between Kaiba's thighs. Meeting the trusting sapphire gaze, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the brunet's pants and carefully tugged them down to Kaiba's knees, licking his lips wantonly as the impressive length was freed. "God, I've been waiting for so long for this, Seto," Jou purred as he dropped his mouth onto the rigid shaft, fully engulfing his member in his throat. 

"Oh God, Jou!" Kaiba rasped as his back arched off the bed, his body tensing in pleasure as the warm, moist heat engulfed him. His soft groan turned into a throaty moan when the blond applied suction, and Kaiba nearly came on the spot. "Jounouchi, please," he begged. "Don't tease like this!"

Jou could feel the brunet's cock pulsing against his tongue and, pulling his mouth away, he began to pump Kaiba's member with firm, deliberate strokes. "Then don't hold back, Beloved," Jou whispered sensually. "I can tell you're close. Let me see how you look when you lower all your defences and give in to the pleasure you need." He nudged the brunet's thighs further apart and lovingly stroked along Kaiba's crevasse as he playfully lapped at the head of his cock. 

"Oh Jounouchi!" the brunet cried as he came, his essence running down the blond's fist in creamy rivulets as he moaned in satisfaction, the sound quickly turning into a pained whimper as Jou sank his fangs into Kaiba's femoral artery and began to drink from him. Within moments, the discomfort had transformed into a euphoric light-headedness, and it was all the brunet could do to keep from giggling giddily. He lay back comfortably on the mattress, his hands fisting in the sheets as he concentrated on the indescribable pleasure the blond was giving him.

A carnal growl escaped Jou's lips as he bit into the tender flesh of the brunet's inner thigh. As soon as he tasted the first mouthful of Kaiba's blood, Jou was in heaven. The crimson elixir was far sweeter than any he had ever had, and he purred in delight as he lapped at the wound. And then, seemingly far too soon for his liking, he pulled his mouth away and languidly made his way back to the brunet's side. Slowly, he licked his lips and then grinned at the other, his extended fangs making the gesture seem more wicked than sensual. Placing a soft kiss on Kaiba's cheek, the blond asked gently, "Are you in any pain?"

The brunet shook his head. "No, not any more," he rasped. "But my throat hurts and I feel so cold and tired."

"I know," Jou soothed as he brushed the bangs from Kaiba's forehead and placed another kiss on the cool skin. "The mortal part of you is dying. Stay awake, Seto, and I will bring you back to me." He slid off the bed and picked up his jacket, searching the pockets for his knife. Finding the tool, he rejoined the brunet and flipped it open to reveal the blade. As his sire had done four years ago, Jou slashed a tiny `X' on the underside of his wrist and, stretching out next to Kaiba, he allowed a few drops to fall on the brunet's lips before he pressed the wound to his mouth. "That's right, Beloved," he murmured lovingly as he felt the supple tongue flicking across his skin. He brought his free hand up to stroke the sleek, auburn hair, and with an impish grin he smirked, "Soon, you'll be just like me, and when you wake, we hunt."


	7. Chapter Seven

It was shortly after two in the morning when a pair of sleepy, cobalt eyes blinked open. The light in the room had been dimmed, and he could see Jounouchi sitting in his armchair, once again engrossed in his book. "Why do you insist on reading that hackneyed shit?" he rasped, his throat dry and aching as he sat up in the bed.

The blond gave a small gasp of surprise when Kaiba spoke to him, and, setting his book down on the arm of the chair, he made his way over to the bedside. "Sorry it's not Shakespeare, but I'm trying to stay awake, you know. Science fiction has lots of cool action scenes. Watch your eyes," he said as he stretched over to the night stand and turned up the lamp, wincing slightly as the brunet instinctively brought a hand up to shield himself from the brightness, his pained grimace revealing a pair of tiny, pointed fangs. "Sorry about that. In time, you'll learn to quickly adjust to it. At least we know your night vision is working." He waited until Kaiba had dropped his hand, and then smiled at him. "How do you feel?"

"A lot better than I did a few hours ago, but still not really great," Kaiba replied as he threw back the quilt and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"That's because you're hungry," Jou stated matter-of-factly as he knelt beside the brunet and lifted his lips, inspecting his teeth. "Hey, they're coming along nicely!" the blond grinned, and then scowled as Kaiba loosed an irritated growl and nipped his thumb. "Damn it, what'd you do that for?" he demanded, his irritation growing when he heard the brunet's pleased chuckle.

"Quit looking me over like I'm some kind of show animal. If you want to know something, ask me," he answered as he licked his lip of a drop of blood, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face as he watched Jou suckle his injured digit. "You taste good," he added, almost as an afterthought.

At these words, Jou dropped his hand back to his side, a slow grin curving his lips upwards. "Yeah? Liked it, ne? Well, maybe if you're a good boy, I'll give you another taste later. But now, we need to hunt. I haven't fed yet tonight, and you're going to need the energy to help you complete your transformation. Your fangs are sharp, but not yet fully developed. I might have to help you a bit."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Kaiba replied. "Still, I would like to stop by KaibaCorp and get back into my own clothing; not that I don't find the `casual' look appealing," he added acerbically. He pulled on his shirt as he got to his feet, wavered slightly, and then proceeded to slip on his boots and head for the door. "Come on, let's go."

"Seto, wait!" Jou called after him, tossing a leather bomber jacket at him. "It's November!"

"So?" the brunet replied as he caught the garment in his hands and stared distastefully at it. "You told me yourself that the cold doesn't bother us."

"Damn it, Seto, quit being so fucking pig-headed!" Jou snarled as he grabbed Kaiba by the back of his shirt and turned him around to face him, slamming him forcefully against the hallway wall. "Listen to me," he hissed as he leaned close to him, his eyes narrowed. "As much as you're going to hate to hear this, I am your sire, and it's my job to make sure you don't go stumbling around out there in that sea of humanity like a jackass. For the most part, unless we're in the middle of killing them or claiming them, mortals _don't know_ about us, and if we hope to stay alive, they can't find out! It sucks sometimes, but we have to role-play and try to blend in as best we can. And that means that in the middle of the fucking winter, you can't go strolling around as if it were a nice, August afternoon! Don't be stupid." He felt the brunet struggle against his grasp, and he smirked coldly. "You might have been able to kick my ass back in high school, but right now I am stronger than you, like it or not!" He released his charge, the callous smirk never wavering as Kaiba glared coolly at him. "Maybe one day you'll be more powerful than me, but it's not going to be today. Mark my words though; betray me once and you'll never have a second opportunity. My so-called `brothers' had at least a century on me each. Don't think you're above retribution just because I created you and love you." Jou's expression softened as he watched the brunet sullenly slip the coat over his arms.

"Happy?" Kaiba snapped, obviously annoyed by the role reversal that had taken place between him and the blond.

"Immensely," Jou purred as he cupped the brunet's cheek in his hand and stroked the smooth skin tenderly, grinning at how Kaiba seemed to crave his touch and lean into it, the anger transforming into an expression of ultimate contentment. With a wistful smile, his eyes drank in the vision that was his progeny, and though he was filled with absolute love and devotion for Kaiba, he couldn't help the slight pang of anguish he felt when he remembered that was how he'd been with Marduk. "Come on, Beloved," he murmured as he took the brunet by the hand and led him outside to his car. 

The ride into Domino passed in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Jou parked downtown near KaibaCorp Tower, and then led Seto into a darkened alleyway. "It's getting pretty late, so there aren't going to be a whole hell of a lot of people wandering around. That's another reason why you want to hunt fairly early in the night. The other thing to keep in mind is being discreet. You either separate the person by taking them to a secluded alley, or else you have to make it look like you're trying to score when in public, and look like you're making out with them."

The brunet let out a snort of amusement. "Do that often, do you?"

The blond just shrugged. "Sometimes it's just a question of convenience, you know?" Jou straightened, giving the air a cursory sniff as his eyes narrowed slightly, a sadistic gleam in the sparkling amber. "Someone's coming; can you smell her?"

"How the hell do you know it's a her? I don't smell any-"Kaiba paused abruptly as a faint scent accosted his nose. It was raw and carnal, and was made that much more sensual by the faint aroma of perfume. The brunet could feel his body pulsing with need, hunger and desire, and as she drew closer, he could hear her going over what sounded like a grocery list to herself. He frowned slightly as he turned to look at Jou. 

"Those are her thoughts, Seto. With mortals, you can hear what's going on in their heads. Sometimes their minds are open and clear, like hers is, other times, you get vague images and ideas. But it's always there if you concentrate on listening for it." He turned to look at the brunet and continued, "The easiest way to get her to come with you is to try to bend her to your will by maintaining eye contact and treating her gently. It's less likely anyone will notice you that way, but I don't know if you'll be able to do it yet. It's one of those things you'll instinctively learn how to do over time. You can try it if you want. Just remember, you're now a lot faster and a lot stronger than mortals, so be careful."

As the young woman passed, Kaiba grabbed her by the arm and hauled her into the shadows. Her pale, green eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the brunet, her mouth opened in a surprised `O'. For the first time in his life, Kaiba hesitated, unsure of what to do. He glanced over at the blond, who smiled reassuringly and stepped over to him.

Jou carefully prised the girl's arm from Kaiba's grip, and with a small smile, he looked into the watery eyes of their victim. "It's ok," he soothed softly as he gently pushed a lock of her long, coppery hair from her cheek and tucked it carefully behind her ear. "My friend was just worried about someone so lovely walking home all alone at this time of night. You never know what sorts of things that go `bump in the night' might be lurking in a dark alley, ne?" A sadistic chuckle escaped his lips as he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "He's just a little shy, so I'm doing the talking for him," the blond continued, noticing that the girl had visibly calmed down and was now giving Jou a small, but friendly, smile in return. "So what do you say? Will you let my friend see you home tonight?"

The girl glanced shyly at Kaiba, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks as she gave a small nod and stepped towards the brunet. Kaiba himself was in complete awe of Jou's performance. `Is that what he did to me?' the brunet wondered idly as the young woman pressed herself into his arms. Pulled from his musings by the warm, pliant body against him, Kaiba looked down at the petite woman and tenderly stroked her silken tresses. He could feel his thirst growing, and with a low, rumbling growl, he fisted his hand in her hair and viciously jerked her head back to expose her neck. There was a faint snap, and then she went limp in the brunet's arms. Bewildered, Kaiba dropped her to the ground and turned to look at the blond.

Jou gave a heavy sigh, and then smiled gently. "Seto, I _told_ you, you're a lot stronger than mortals so you have to make a conscious effort to control yourself. You broke her fucking neck before you could even feed off of her. What a waste!" He shook his head in disgust as he looked at the rapidly cooling body, the girl's head lying at an awkward angle compared to the rest of her. He saw the embarrassment on the brunet's face, and he shrugged. "Fuck it. We'll just try again, ne? Come on; maybe one of the KaibaCorp guards will be floating around and we can do this inside where no one will see." The blond stuck his hands in his jacket pocket and began walking down the block towards the magnificent office building. He'd only gone a couple of paces when Kaiba fell into step beside him.

"That was quite the display back there with that woman," Kaiba stated casually.

"You'll learn how to do it soon enough," Jou replied, his gaze still focused on the office building.

"Did you do that to me? Did you brainwash me into wanting you?"

At this, the blond stopped and looked Kaiba straight in the eye. "What do you think?" 

"Well, you did _something_ to me, because until that night, I hadn't even thought about you since high school, and I sure as _hell_ wasn't in the habit of having sex dreams about you!"

"Really? Sex dreams? Hope I was good," Jou purred teasingly, a sensual smile on his lips. He saw Kaiba's impatient look, and with a sigh, he said, "Look Seto, there are different levels of control you can exert on a mortal. You can try for total control and make them react like a puppet, or you can simply make them feel uninhibited and free to do what's truly in their heart. On my honour, that's what I did to you. I never forced you into anything. I just helped you do what you felt, that's all." The blond chuckled. "You could just as easily have punched me in the face as kissed me. But then, I did know how you'd react, didn't I? Like I said before, I could hear your thoughts. Now come on; it will be morning soon." Jou resumed walking, and this time when Kaiba rejoined him, he reached out his hand and interlaced their fingers together for a brief moment, giving a small squeeze before releasing.

When they entered the foyer, Kaiba was not surprised to see that the double glass doors were locked. Reaching behind Jou, he picked up the courtesy phone that rang through to security during off hours. When it was answered, Kaiba said, "This is Kaiba Seto. Open the doors; I need to pick something up from my office."

"Very funny, asshole," the security officer's voice answered. "Kaiba-sama's been missing for a few days. Do you really think I believe that he's going to simply stroll up to the front doors?" 

"I don't give a damn what you believe," Kaiba replied tersely. "But if you don't get over here in twenty seconds and let me in, you'll be looking for a new job come morning, Hiroshi."

"Look you little prick, I'm coming down there, and I swear to God you'll wish you hadn't been born if you're still there when I arrive," Hiroshi seethed, his end of the phone going dead.

"This should be amusing," Kaiba quipped as he folded his arms across his chest and waited. About thirty seconds later, he saw the plump security officer waddle into the hallway, all the colour draining from his face when he saw the brunet. "Moron," Kaiba muttered, half to himself, half to Jounouchi.

"K-Kaiba-sama!" Hiroshi stuttered as he fumbled with his keys and finally admitted the brunet. "I-I wasn't expecting you to sh-show up like this! The n-news reports were speculating that you were dead! Wh-what should we have thought when Matsuo-san and Kiro-san were both found in the parking garage, along with your cell phone, covered in blood?"

"Well, I'm obviously here now. Shit, now I need to call the press and the police and have them call off their searches." He started to walk towards the reception desk to use the phone.

"And young Kaiba-san, too; he's probably sick with worry," Hiroshi interjected softly.

The brunet narrowed his eyes and scowled at the guard, the receiver halfway to his ear. "What does my brother have to do with any of this?" he demanded irritably as he slammed it back onto the cradle.

"W-well, Sir, when no one could find you, they informed Kaiba-san; he insisted on coming home to help find you. He was due to arrive this afternoon. Did you not meet with him?"

"I think it's pretty damned obvious that I didn't!" Kaiba snapped, fighting the urge to strangle the life from Hiroshi with his bare hands. 

Jou, ever the opportunist, turned to the brunet and said, "This guy is food, Seto. Take him." He stepped back a half pace and locked the doors to the outside, giving Hiroshi a sympathetic smile. 

For a second, Hiroshi looked confused, but when he saw the grin on his employer's face, and the long, fang teeth which still lacked the capacity to retract, he panicked and took off at a run. 

Kaiba gave chase, cursing to himself that for a large man, Hiroshi was surprisingly agile. Twice, he'd almost grabbed him, but the chubby guard always managed to veer in some random direction and elude him at the last second. Being faster, in this instance, was a curse, as Kaiba did not yet know how to control his ability.

Finally, Jou stepped forward and grabbed Hiroshi firmly by the front of his collar. Baring his own fangs, he hissed, "Make one more move and I'll kill you where you stand." He heard a muffled whimper from the other man and, dragging the older guard towards the brunet, Jou demanded crossly, "Have you ever hunted a fucking thing in your entire life?" Before Kaiba could answer, the blond held up a hand in apology and sighed. "I'm sorry, Seto. I keep forgetting that this is all new for you and that you haven't learned everything yet. I'm sorry for getting impatient and losing my temper." He stopped at the brunet's side. "Let me see your teeth, please." When Kaiba drew back his lips, Jou inspected them and said, "Well, they're still nowhere near long or sharp enough. If you bite him on your own, you're only going to shred the flesh and wind up making one fuck of a mess." At Jou's words, Hiroshi gave a strangled whine and tried to struggle against his captor. The blond merely gave him a shake and he instantly quieted again.

"What do you suggest, then?" Kaiba asked.

The blond smiled softly at his love. "By tomorrow, you'll be able to do this on your own, but for tonight, let me start him for you." He drew the guard close to him and whispered against Hiroshi's throat, "Don't worry. It won't hurt. Much." 

There was a soft cry of pain from Hiroshi as Jou's fangs punctured the tender skin, and then Jou loosed a pleasured growl as his mouth was quickly filled with the crimson fluid. After taking a few sips, the blond pulled away and kissed Kaiba deeply, letting the brunet lap the blood from his lips and tongue. "Finish him, Seto," Jou purred as he handed the now-trembling guard to the other.

Kaiba looked down at the terrified man he held in his arms. He could smell the fear on him, but more importantly, he could smell the blood, and the only thought in his mind was the all-consuming desire to taste it. Bowing his head, the brunet gave a pleasured moan as he flicked out his tongue to sample the still flowing vitae. Instantly, Kaiba pressed his lips to the wound, and as his mouth filled with blood, he practically swooned with ecstasy. The taste from Jou had been bliss, but the full experience was euphoric.  
Quickly, the brunet drained Hiroshi, tearing his mouth away and letting out a satisfied roar as the lifeless body fell to the floor. 

"Well, you don't seem to have any problems with that part," Jou chuckled as he licked a rogue dribble of blood from Kaiba's chin, giving a small shiver of delight. "Come on; let's get you back to looking like you. We're going to be pushing our luck soon, time wise."

They rode the elevator to the top floor, stepping out into the open reception area. As they crossed the marble floor and made their way towards Kaiba's office, Jou turned to the brunet and asked, "Not that I really care one way or the other, but why would you come _here_ for clothes and not go to your house?"

Seto smirked as he opened the door to his office. "First, the office was closer. We'd have to go clear across town to reach my estate. And second, I have a rather extensive wardrobe here." He pushed a panel to reveal a hidden walk-in closet. Motioning Jou to one of the comfortable leather club chairs, he disappeared inside, re-emerging a few moments later dressed in black trousers, a black, brushed cotton button-down shirt, and a long, black leather trench coat. "Mmm, much better," Kaiba drawled as he strode across the office to his desk, the tails of his coat skimming against the ankles of his black gladiator boots.

"I agree," Jou murmured as he prowled slowly across the room, climbing up on the polished, mahogany desk and sitting on the edge facing him. He reached out and grabbed Kaiba by the lapels and dragged him towards him, draping his legs over the arms of the brunet's chair as he slid into Kaiba's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. "God, I know we should get going, but I'd risk everything to stay right here with you like this," he purred, tipping his head up to brush a kiss across Kaiba's lips.

"Well, well, well," purred a soft voice from the doorway. "Did I interrupt anything sordid…I hope?"

Kaiba snapped his gaze to the entrance, his eyes narrowing in disgust when he saw the raven-haired man standing there. "Otogi!" he spat as he disentangled himself from Jounouchi and set the blond back on his desk. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jou turned to glare at the other man, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He didn't trust Otogi. He had _never_ trusted Otogi; especially where Seto was concerned. When he heard on the news that the two business rivals had entered into negotiations, he had quickly started buying up KaibaCorp shares. This way, he had a legitimate reason to be around the brunet and protect him from whatever Otogi was planning, even if it had meant revealing what he was to Kaiba. There was just something about the flaky, temperamental man that didn't sit right with the blond. And his instincts were always correct.

"Well, I _was_ here to check on my new office. For some reason, _you_ have a much better view of the city than I do." A sensual pout crossed Otogi's lips as he entered the room. "But I'm not worried; that will all be rectified in a day or so. And then, when _I_ own KaibaCorp, the first order of business will be massive housecleaning, and you can finally get rid of all the useless trash that's been hanging around." At this, he gave Jounouchi a small shove and jumped into the brunet's lap, giggling inanely as the chair rolled back across the floor and he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck. "Just look, Love," Otogi continued as he gestured towards the skyline. "All that you can see will be our domain. Together, we will rule this town." He leaned down and placed a hungry kiss on the brunet's lips, chuckling in cold amusement when he heard the warning growl from Jounouchi.

"Get the hell away from me, Otogi!" Kaiba hissed as he forcefully pushed the raven-haired man from his lap, knocking him backwards onto his ass about four feet away. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the brunet sneered, "And don't you _ever_ touch me again without my permission."

Otogi looked nearly crestfallen as he sat sulkily on the floor for a moment, and then he climbed to his feet and chuckled humourlessly. "Well that's interesting," he began petulantly, a small scowl curving his lips downwards once more. "It looks like I'm just a bit too late. Jounouchi's already gotten to you, hasn't he? What a busy little bee he's been, and a veritable thorn in my side, too." Jounouchi gave a small gasp of recognition at Otogi's words, and the raven-haired man cast a glance towards the still-glowering blond, a look of pure malevolence blazing in his own emerald green eyes. "How _disappointing_ ," he continued, addressing the brunet, but his eyes fixed on Jounouchi. "I so would have enjoyed you, Love. You're so strong, so powerful; I still get shivers every time I think about fucking you. Still, once you realize that I'm the one commanding the winning team, you might change your mind and let me have you after all, ne?"

"Imbecile," Kaiba snorted. "You know that I'm going to be buying Black Crown any day now. Even the so-called `experts' agree that it's all but over for you."

At this, Otogi laughed outright. "Seto, you really need to keep up with the papers. Turns out that people see a corporation without a CEO just like a ship without a captain. Your little `disappearing act' has been all anyone in the business can talk about. And, coupled with the incompetence of your senior staff, public confidence in KaibaCorp has plummeted exceptionally fast – down the toilet, you might say. It turns out that your number two man, Norio Kaga, couldn't administrate his way out of a paper bag. First, he blew the whole story on you out of proportion, going to the press and telling them about the suspicious goings-on in the KaibaCorp parking garage, and that in turn cost you your big account with that American conglomerate. I'd say that I sympathized with you, but your man's incompetence only helped me secure a rather large, new account."

"You're a God damned liar, Otogi!" Kaiba sneered. "I own the most respected company in the nation. There is no way it would ever fall to the level of mediocrity you work under."

Otogi brushed his hair back from his forehead, a satisfied smirk creeping across his face as he watched the brunet seethe with anger. "Don't take it personally, Love," Otogi taunted, twirling a lock of ebony hair around his finger. "It's just business, ne?" He paused for a moment to regard Jou and Kaiba, and then pursed his lips as if deep in thought. "One thing does puzzle me, though."

"What's that?" Kaiba demanded.

"I'm curious how you managed to elude my hunter. I honestly expected to never see or hear from either of you again; he assured me that he was a professional."

"You were the one who hired Thanatos, weren't you?" Jou asked incredulously, giving a snort of contempt when he saw the ebony head nod. "I wondered what made that piece of shit come back here. I hope you didn't pay him too much, Otogi. The only thing Thanatos was a professional at was telling bullshit stories about how great he was."

"Well, he was quite motivated to help me. I mean, after I told him that by killing Seto here _you'd_ come out of the woodwork, he was more than anxious to assist. But again, you threw a wrench into my plans, Jounouchi. I'd offered up our luscious dish here as the ultimate prize. How inconvenient it was for me when I'd learned that you'd marked him as yours, thereby spoiling the promised treasure. I had to give him a choice of two of my loveliest interns in lieu." The raven-haired man heaved a weary sigh as he looked at the other two. "By the way, where is Thanatos? I haven't seen him yet tonight, and I would assume he's still on the hunt for the two of you."

"He's not doing much of anything anymore," Jou said with a smirk.

"Fuck! You killed him?" Otogi exclaimed, and then schooled his features back to neutral. "Oh well," he continued with a shrug. "I guess that's what I get when I ask a dog to do a man's work." 

"Now _that's_ one thing I agree with you on," Jou replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest and giving the other a suspicious look. "Now, if you're a smart man, you'll get out of here before I tear your lungs from your chest for what you've done to Seto." More than anything, the blond wanted to wipe the arrogant, smarmy look off of Otogi's face for being so obnoxious, but every instinct was screaming at him to err on the side of caution – for now. 

Green eyes sparkled with delight at Jou's words. "Ooh! Protective of what you _think_ you own, aren't you?" he taunted, a leering smirk on his lips. "Look, why don't the two of you stop by _my_ office tomorrow night and we can finish up this nasty, little discussion then; say, about midnight? I'm telling you, Seto, it'll be more than worth your while. In fact, you could say it's an offer you can't refuse!" He chuckled delightedly, and then turned on his heel and headed for the door. "Oh by the way," he commented casually over his shoulder. "I think you'll find me a lot harder to kill than you realize, Jounouchi." He blew a kiss at the brunet, and they could hear his echoing footsteps growing softer as he headed down the hallway. 

The blond's eyes widened in momentary surprise, and then a deep scowl crossed his features as he stared out the vacant doorway. "Kitsune," he murmured softly, his amber eyes brimming with hatred as he pushed himself off the polished mahogany desktop and moved out into the reception area.

"Pardon?" Kaiba replied, quirking a questioning eyebrow.

"I finally understand what Thanatos meant last night, and I know what Otogi is," Jou replied.

"Pathetic?" the brunet suggested.

At this, the blond laughed. "Well, that too, among other things." He turned to look at the brunet. "There has always been something odd about Otogi that I couldn't quite place, but tonight I think I finally figured out what it is. Given his slutty way of dressing, his willingness to fuck anything that walks, and his arrogance about not being easily destroyed, I think he's a kitsune."

"A what?" Kaiba asked humourlessly.

"A kitsune – a demon fox spirit. Usually, they're just overly flirty and irritatingly mischievous, but occasionally you get what they call a `twisted one' that derives pleasure from harming and killing others."

"It sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me," Kaiba replied.

"Funny," Jou said, his eyes growing cold and cruel for a brief moment. "That's what you said yesterday about vampires, yet here you stand, ne?"

"Touché," the brunet said dryly. "Ok, then how do we kill it?" A satisfied smirk crossed the brunet's lips as he thought about finally putting an end to the insufferable pest that was Otogi Ryuji.

"I don't know," the blond answered. "I've not read a lot about them."

"Fine," Kaiba stated as he started packing up a spare laptop into a small, metal briefcase. "We'll figure it out together. Unfortunately, we can't stay here and research it, so while you drive, I'll look."

By the time they reached Jou's lair, they had learned that the way to kill a kitsune was to destroy its `kitsune ball', a small orb into which a portion of the demon's soul and power were stored, ensuring immortality. Unfortunately, each ball was unique – something chosen special by its owner. They had also learned about the various abilities the kitsune possessed. Most would be ineffective against them, save one – the ability to breathe fire. Hopefully, Otogi had not mastered that particular skill yet.

"I don't know about tomorrow night, Seto," Jou murmured sleepily as he leaned over and kissed the brunet soundly. "I have a bad feeling about it, and I'm pretty sure it's going to take both of us to kill him."

"What makes you say that?" Kaiba asked as he nuzzled contentedly against the blond's chest and started to drift off into sleep. 

"Maybe you didn't notice it, but I couldn't get a read off of Otogi. Not one single thought."


	8. Chapter Eight

The sun was just beginning to set when Jounouchi awoke the next evening. Normally, he was not one to rise early; in fact, this was the first time he'd ever been up before sundown. Jou figured that it was probably due to their upcoming confrontation with Otogi. Even when he had been mortal, he'd always suffered from insomnia when he was under stress. He glanced over at the sleeping form curled up next to him and a small smile crept across his lips. The blond knew that Kaiba was a chronic early riser, but not even the stalwart brunet would be able to fight his new body's demand for rest. At least not for a while. Tenderly, Jou ran his fingers through the silky, auburn tresses and then brushed a gentle kiss across Kaiba's lips. Turning the brunet had only made him even more beautiful, Jou thought as he let his eyes rove over the sleeping form, feeling himself becoming more and more aroused. He knew he couldn't afford to think like that, not at the moment anyway. A wistful expression on his face, Jou reluctantly got up and began to get dressed, a soft chuckle escaping him when he heard the tiny whimper from Kaiba. When he was finished, he made his way to the living room and sat down on the sofa to watch television while he waited for the other to rise.

It was a couple of hours later when Kaiba blinked his eyes open and sat up. The first thing he noticed was that the room was dark, it was eerily quiet, and he was alone. "Jou?" he called out softly, his heart clenching in fear as he wondered if the blond would be stupid enough to try to take on Otogi by himself. Kaiba looked around the room, and he saw that the bedroom door was partially opened, and he could see a flickering blue light coming from the hallway. Curious, he got up, pulled on his clothes, and padded down the hall to the living room, where he saw Jounouchi curled up on the couch watching some sort of game show. As soon as he saw the blond, he felt the relief flood through him and he gracefully dropped down onto the cushion beside him.

Jou turned to look at the brunet, a small smile on his face. "You're finally up! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep the entire night away," he teased, leaning over to brush a kiss across the other's lips.

Kaiba scowled. "You could have woken me. How long have you been up, anyway?"

At this, the blond chuckled. "Seto, I couldn't have woken you if I'd tried. The shitty part about being what we are is that we wake when we wake. And I've been up for a couple of hours. Couldn't sleep."

"Oh," the brunet replied simply as he indulged in a luxurious stretch. "You look tired; are you sure you're rested enough for tonight?" he inquired, the concern in his eyes belying the disinterest in his voice.

Again, Jou smiled. "Don't worry about me, Seto. I'm stronger than you think I am." He cupped the brunet's cheek in his hand as he gazed deep into the cobalt depths. "Trust me," he purred sensually, getting to his feet and pulling Kaiba up beside him. "Come on; it's time."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Kaiba asked as he slipped on his long coat and followed Jou out to the car.

"No," Jou replied with a smirk as he pulled out onto the road. "But I sure as hell am hoping!"

An hour later, the pair stood on the sidewalk outside the Black Crown corporate headquarters, staring up at the skyscraper. Kaiba had a cell phone, a trinket he had procured from his latest victim, pressed to his ear, a petulant scowl darkening his features. "Shit," he muttered, throwing the small device at the brickwork and watching with morbid satisfaction as it shattered on impact. "Why the hell did I buy Mokuba a cell phone _and_ a Blackberry if he's never going to have either of them on?"

"Maybe he's sleeping, Seto," Jou offered as he quietly went around the side of the building, searching for the side entrance.

"No, the answering machine isn't on. If he can sleep through thirty-six rings, then he's improved his sleeping patterns while away at school." He watched Jou crouch down to examine the lock, and then step back to critically eye a second story window. "What are you doing?"

"Otogi's expecting us through the front door, ne? I thought it might help us to have a bit of a surprise for him. This piece of shit receiving door is so full of alarms, it would take me a good half hour to bypass the system, and honestly, I've got better things to do with my time. That window up there, on the other hand, looks like it could be along a warehouse catwalk. Easy to slip into, if we can get to it."

"So, how do we get to it? It's a good fifteen feet up from here."

"Jump."

The brunet stared at Jou as if he'd just suggested the sky was plaid. "Are you kidding me?"

"No," the blond replied, flashing Kaiba a playful grin as he climbed up on the wooden railing, narrowing his eyes as he studied his target. The window ledge was about three feet across and maybe six inches deep, and looked sturdy enough. Jou took a couple of lead-off steps along the railing, and then leapt for the window, easily catching the ledge by the tips of his fingers and pulling himself up to sit on the sill, smiling down at the surprised brunet. "Come on, Seto; it's just like we used to do in track and field."

"How –"

"Just jump, Seto. Trust me; this is nothing compared to what you can do."

With a dubious glance back up at the blond, Kaiba climbed up on the railing and, mimicking Jou's steps, made a jump for the window, half expecting to feel himself hit the wall and fall back to earth on his ass. But he didn't fall. He felt a hand grab his, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting beside Jou on the ledge, looking down at the alley below.

"Pretty cool, ne?" the blond said as he gave the brunet's hand a small squeeze before releasing it. "One night, we'll go out solely to play, and I'll show you the things you can do!" Carefully, Jou got to his feet and, balancing himself along the ledge, he quickly broke the cheap, sash lock and pushed the window open. The blond sat back down on the sill, peering into the darkness. "Fuck," he muttered. "No catwalk. But, at least it's the same distance down as up." That said, he easily pushed himself off the ledge and dropped lightly to the concrete below. "Piece of cake," he called up to the brunet, and then smirked as he added, "But if you're scared, I'll catch you."

"Bite me, Jounouchi," Kaiba muttered under his breath, the irony of his statement bringing a wry smirk to his lips. He slipped easily from the sill to join the blond on the cement floor, only losing his balance for a fraction of a second when he landed. "There's only one thing I'm scared of, and heights isn't it," he remarked cattily.

Jou batted his eyelashes at him in mock-adoration as he said in a soft falsetto, "Kaiba Seto, you're my hero; so brave, so daring…" He snickered when the brunet shoved him away with a snort of amusement, and still grinning, Jou beckoned to Kaiba as he made his way towards the double doors leading into the administration building. 

Their footfalls were near silent as they moved down the tiled corridor towards the main lobby. Suddenly, Jou pressed himself back against the wall behind a large ficus plant, holding out an arm to stop Kaiba from coming any closer. "Guards," Kaiba whispered, his cobalt eyes narrowed in concentration. "Sounds like…two, and they're heading this way."

"Very good," Jou said, obviously pleased with the brunet's progress. They crouched down in the shadows of the plant, waiting until the guards had passed their position, and then they pounced. Jou grabbed the first sentry by the throat and slammed him hard into the wall, indenting the plaster with the back of the man's cranium. Kaiba grabbed the other and, hearing the satisfying crack as he twisted the guard's head, he permitted the body to slump lifelessly to the ground, the spinal column snapped cleanly from the base of the skull. 

"I'm getting better, ne?" Kaiba quipped as he turned to the blond, a feral glint sparking in his sapphire eyes and a sadistic smirk playing at the corners of his lips. 

"Oh fuck yes," Jou moaned hungrily as he met the brunet's eyes, his grip tightening reflexively around his quarry's throat. "You did so well, in fact, that I'm going to let you have our friend here as a little treat." 

The guard's eyes widened in horror at Jou's words, and he clawed frantically at the hand around his windpipe. He tried to scream when Kaiba drew nearer to him, but the lack of air and the additional pressure on his larynx made it near impossible. And, when the brunet took him in his arms and once again permitted him to breathe, the guard was still unable to do anything, save for squeak out the occasional terrified whimper.

Lovingly, Kaiba ran his fingers along the rapidly bruising flesh of the man's throat, and then leaned down to place a tender kiss on his pulse point. He was unable to hold back the small groan of pleasure that escaped his lips, and, just before he was about to press his fangs into the smooth skin, he caught sight of Jounouchi, who was watching him intently. Hesitating, he asked, "What about you?"

The blond smiled gently and shook his head. "Go ahead; you need it more than I do. Besides, I'll have my treat later, when all this is over with." Despite himself, another wanton moan escaped Jou's lips when Kaiba sank his fangs into the guard's neck. The brunet exuded sensuality; even more so when he was on the hunt, and Jou wanted him, more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life. He felt his groin throb with need, and reluctantly, the blond tore his gaze away from the vision in front of him to stare at the deserted lobby. With an impatient sigh, Jou closed his eyes and struggled to get his racing pulse back under control. How he wanted to simply leave Otogi to his own devices and take his brunet love home and show him pleasure unimaginable, but for reasons beyond Jou's understanding, this whole fiasco was important to Kaiba, so therefore, it was important to him, too. He heard a soft `thump' behind him, and knew that the brunet must have finished with the guard.

"Jounouchi?"

At the sound of his name, the blond turned. "What is it, Beloved?" Jou murmured, glancing down at the security officer and noting that he was still breathing. Barely.

The brunet dropped his gaze. "He's not dead yet. There's still a little left in him. I think you should have it."

"I told you I would be fine," Jou said coolly.

"You also said he was mine, and that means I can do with him as I wish," Kaiba replied, his voice equally impassive. He bent down and grabbed the older man by the shirt lapels and dragged him easily over to where Jou stood, dropping him unceremoniously in a crumpled heap at the blond's feet. "So, will you take it from the source, or do I have to force feed it to you?"

For a brief moment, the blond considered his options. Feeding himself was definitely the quicker and wiser choice, but also inherently less fun. Narrowing his eyes as he smirked playfully at the brunet, he purred, "I'd like to see you try." 

Kaiba's eyes widened in surprise, and then he scowled at the recalcitrant blond. "Fine," he snapped. "If that's the way you're going to be, then to hell with you." The brunet angrily jerked his prize back to his feet and quickly drank up the last mouthful. But before he could swallow, the blond was on him, crushing their lips together in a bruising kiss as his tongue delved deep into Kaiba's mouth to greedily lap up the sweet, warm liquid therein. A low, lusty growl rumbled deep in the brunet's throat as he tipped his head down to allow the crimson fluid to seep into the blond's mouth. The blood was good, but when coupled with the taste of Jounouchi, it was beyond intoxicating. For a good few minutes they stayed that way, until the blond was satisfied that he'd gathered up every drop offered to him.

"Yummy," Jou murmured sensually as he laved a rogue droplet from his bottom lip. "You have no idea how much better it tastes coming from you. Now, if you want to do this thing tonight, we'd best get going now; otherwise, I'm going to take you back home and have my way with you until the wee hours of the morning. And after that, I…" The blond stopped, frowning slightly as he turned away from the brunet. With a heavy sigh, he stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, fingering the small item he still had hidden there. As much as he wanted Seto, as strong as his own needs were, Jou had sworn to himself that only when this was over, and Seto was finally content, would he permit himself to take their bond to the next level.

"And after that, what?" Kaiba asked, trying to stave off the small shiver of anticipation that ran through him at the blond's words.

Jou gave his head a small shake. "Never mind; it's not important right now anyway," he replied bitterly as he entered the stairwell. "Come on; we're taking the stairs so that we don't tip anyone off with the elevators. At least it's only ten floors – not like your building." 

Swiftly and stealthily, they climbed the steps to the top floor, slipping silently into the darkened corridor and making their way to Otogi's office. Kaiba turned the brushed aluminum knob, frowning in concern when he saw that the door was not locked. Carefully, he pushed the door open, and the two of them stepped inside. "Jesus Christ!" Kaiba muttered, giving a contemptuous snort. "This looks more like a whorehouse than a place of business!"

The floor was covered with a thick, cream coloured shag carpet, and against one brick wall was a gas fireplace with a black bearskin rug set in front of it. The furniture was low slung and covered with either red or black vinyl, and numerous fun-fur throw pillows were strewn about. The `artwork' on the walls consisted of various S&M and sexual toys mounted in shadowboxes, and against the wall closest to the door was a glass display case that housed other sexual-themed artefacts from around the world. The desk itself was tucked into the corner, and was made of highly polished aluminum, behind which sat a matching swivel style executive chair that had been covered in sumptuous black leather. The whole room oozed depravity, eroticism, and perversion.

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps," Jou said, as he looked around in disgust. The blond was, by no means, a prude, but he couldn't help the weird, dirty feeling that washed over him. "Just standing here makes my skin crawl."

"I agree," Kaiba replied, moving towards the large desk. "Let's find what we need and get the hell out of here." The desktop was immaculate, save for a couple of file folders and a few trinkets, and the brunet tried not to think of what _other_ things Otogi did on his desk besides paperwork. As he glanced at the items, he saw that one of them was a glass orb, about the size of a baseball, which looked like a large cat's eye marble. "Think this could be it?"

"Maybe. Each kitsune ball is different. We'll just have to bring it to the meeting and see how Otogi reacts, ne?" He grabbed the brunet's hand, and just as they were coming around the desk, both of them froze, Kaiba's expression one of shock, Jou's one of curiosity. Both turned towards the door and watched as it was carelessly pushed open and the overhead light was turned on, which caused both of them to be momentarily blinded.

"Seto, what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing," the brunet growled lowly as he unshielded his eyes and stared into the smiling face of his brother, his scowl deepening as he took in the young teen's appearance. "And what the hell are you wearing?"

The younger Kaiba merely grinned as he came further into the room, watching his brother's eyes as they took in the super short, super tight, red vinyl hot pants, the chain mail mesh tank top and the knee high, black vinyl boots. "Calm down, Seto. I'm sixteen now, and can dress how I like. Besides, my lover likes it when I dress like this," he replied, giving his tousled raven locks a shake.

"Your _lover_?" Kaiba sneered. "You've barely stopped playing with your childhood toys and you tell me you have a lover? How long has this been going on?"

The younger sibling smiled blissfully. "It's been nearly a month now, Seto, and I've never been happier."

The brunet made a strangled sound that was a cross between disgust and disbelief. Narrowing his eyes, he levelled his gaze at his brother. "Who is it so I know who I'm going to kill next?"

"What would you say if I told you it was me?" Otogi purred from the doorway, rubbing his hands sensually down the leather clad ass of Honda, who he held in his arms.

"I'd say you were a fucking liar, Otogi," Kaiba hissed as he glared icily at his most hated rival. "There is no way my brother would associate with a…" He trailed off, his mouth dropping open in a mixture of shock and disgust, when the raven-haired man slipped easily from Honda's grasp and prowled over to Mokuba, pulling the younger teen into his arms and kissing him soundly, his hips gyrating slowly against the slightly shorter boy's groin.

"No?" Otogi smirked, holding Mokuba close and nuzzling against his cheek. He looked down into lust clouded, slate-grey eyes, and in a sultry whisper said, "Moku-chan, tell your brother who my boy is."

Slightly breathless, Mokuba replied, "I'm your boy."

"That's right, Moku-chan," the green-eyed CEO murmured as he lovingly stroked a finger down the other's cheek. "Isn't he the sexiest thing you've ever laid eyes on, Seto?"

"I think he looks like a whore," Kaiba replied flatly, his eyes burning with hatred.

Otogi gave an irritated snort, small wisps of smoke coming from his nostrils as he did so. "That's your _opinion_ , Seto, but we all know what a hack you are when it comes to matters of the heart," he snarled, his expression immediately softening when he turned and kissed Mokuba once more. "Don't listen to him Love," he soothed, kissing the small pout that had formed on the other's lips. "His idea of gorgeous is that low-brow mongrel he associates with." He ignored the warning growl from Jounouchi, kissing his way to Mokuba's ear and rimming the shell with his tongue, eliciting a long, low moan from the teenager. "Do you think we should tell Seto about the wonderful thing you've done for me, besides letting me fuck your sweet ass?" he asked in a sultry whisper.

Mokuba nodded, moving to trail a line of kisses along Otogi's throat, his hands sliding inside Otogi's vest to toy with his nipples. "Tell him, lover."

Smirking cruelly as he looked at the brunet CEO, Otogi purred, "Moku-chan supports my efforts to buy KaibaCorp, and he's even agreed to give me _all_ his shares in the company. And, as soon as I place a call to Nomura Securities in the morning, it will all be nice and legal." His smirk widened as he taunted, "Too bad you won't be awake to try and stop me, ne?"

"Mokuba…tell me it's a lie," Kaiba demanded in a harsh whisper, his legs already beginning to tremble beneath him.

"It's true, Seto," Mokuba replied. "I think it's time for a change, and what Otogi's proposing makes sense."

The brunet looked like he had just been hit hard in the gut. Jou could feel the deep hurt and pain radiating from his love as Kaiba's heart was shattered once again; this time by the one person he'd trusted most of all. "That's it then," he said colourlessly, his gaze turning frosty as he glared at the trio in front of him. "You betrayed me, Mokuba, when you went to Otogi, and you killed me when you sold your soul to him for a cheap fuck." The brunet was trembling with rage, but his voice remained eerily low and calm. "You're no longer the person I thought you were, and you've definitely not grown up right, the way I had hoped you would." Disappointed, he reached up and grabbed the locket he always wore around his neck and tore it off, snapping the chain in the process. "I think of everything I've done, of all the happiness and innocence I've given up; it was all for you, yet here you stand, throwing it all back at me as if my sacrifices were meaningless. From this moment forward, I no longer have a brother. When I look at you now, all I can see is Otogi's bitch. And that makes us enemies," he said coldly as he tossed the pendant at Mokuba's feet, watching as the younger boy knelt down to pick it up.

"Would you really write me off that easily, Seto?" Mokuba asked, flipping open the locket and studying the picture of himself as a child. When the brunet didn't answer him, Mokuba's face curved down into a scowl and he angrily tossed the locket into the trashcan. "Fine, then. It's too late. There's nothing you can do to stop this from happening."

"On the contrary, I can," Kaiba smirked, pulling the glass marble from his pocket and shattering it against the bricks by the fireplace. "Once Otogi is mortal, I can kill him as I would any other human." The brunet chuckled as Otogi dropped to one knee, his head bowed. Honda and Mokuba quickly rushed to the raven-haired man's side, the concern evident on their faces. "Move," Kaiba sneered as he forcibly shoved Honda aside and grabbed Otogi by his collar, physically hauling him to his feet. "Did you really think I'd let you just waltz in and take what belongs to me?" he growled, scowling at the impertinent smirk on the raven-haired man's face.

"And did you really think that I'd be so cavalier and leave something that important just sitting on my desk?" Otogi hissed as he glared at the brunet, great puffs of smoke coming from his nose. He pried Kaiba's hand off of him and knocked the brunet backwards onto the carpet, quickly moving to pin Kaiba's arms as he straddled his hips. "You should have never messed with me or my company, Seto," Otogi growled as a momentary flash of green lit up his eyes. "I would have been perfectly happy co-existing with you, but you had to challenge me, and now you'll pay for that with your life, with your brother, and with your company – everything you hold dear. Your arrogance is your downfall, Kaiba Seto. Just like Jounouchi's idiocy is his. And, after I've disposed of both of you, and reported to the media the news of your _tragic_ deaths, KaibaCorp will be worth even less and just ripe for the plucking." 

"Hey Otogi, what's this thing?" Jou called out, holding a small, golf-ball sized orb in his hand. "I thought ben wa balls came in pairs, not threes..."

The raven head snapped around, and with eyes narrowed in fury he snarled, "You put that down, Jounouchi!"

"Oh Otogi, you really need to learn to relax more. Maybe try some aromatherapy or some biofeedback." His eyes trained on the blazing emerald green ones, he smirked. "Or maybe I'll just destroy this thing and let Seto have his way with you, ne?"

"Let it go, Jou. This is between them, not us," Honda said as he approached his former friend. "You know this isn't our battle."

"Sorry, Hon', but it became my battle the second Thanatos got involved."

"Then I'm sorry for this, Jou," Honda said softly as he pulled a 9mm Browning from inside his jacket.

"Honda, you and I both know that _guns won't kill me_! Now put the pea shooter away before you wind up hurt."

"I'm not trying to kill you, Jou," the brunet said before he shot the blond in the wrist. While the round wasn't enough to do any real, permanent damage, as the blond had already known, the force of the impact, coupled with the immediate pain that assaulted Jou's senses, was enough to make him drop the ball, and as soon as he did, Honda kicked it across the carpet towards Mokuba with a one-word command of, `Run!'

"Fuck!" Jou howled as his blood dripped onto the light coloured carpet. "You shot me in the fucking hand, you son of a _bitch_!" The blond accented his statement with a well-placed fist to Honda's cheek, shattering the bone and rendering the stocky brunet unconscious. Jou stared down at his injured friend with a resentful expression on his face, and then he fixed his eyes on the younger Kaiba. "Mokuba, give me the ball," he said evenly as he held out his hand, the blood still running in viscous rivulets down the tendons.

The blond's words seemed to jolt the teenager out of his shocked stupor, and shaking his head, he turned and made a run for the door.

Jou sighed resignedly and took off after him, catching him just outside the main office doors. "Mokuba, give me the ball," he repeated. When the raven-haired teen didn't answer him and proceeded to shove the ball in his mouth, Jou grabbed him by the throat and said calmly, "If you don't choke to death on that, which is pretty likely, I'll just cut you open and take it for myself. I don't want to kill you, so unless you want to die, just give me the fucking ball, ne?"

Mokuba's slate grey eyes welled up with tears, and again he shook his head.

"Stubbornness must run in your family," Jou groused as he tightened his grip on Mokuba's throat. "In about ten seconds, you'll pass out. Sorry Mokuba, but today just wasn't your day." He waited until he felt the boy's body go slack, and then he fished the kitsune ball from his mouth before setting the limp form down on the tile floor. Returning to Otogi's office, Jou held up the ball and saw the pleading look from Otogi.

"Come on, Jou! You don't have to do this. We can make a deal, you and me. You know I've always liked you…"

"Shut up, Otogi," Jou said coldly. "It was your stupidity that got me involved in this mess in the first place, so now you can deal with the consequences of your actions." He held the ball in his fist and crushed it, smirking at the pained whimper he heard from Otogi when Kaiba freed himself from the raven-haired man's grasp and shoved him hard off of him.

"Ok, ok!" Otogi pleaded as he tried to scramble backwards and out of the brunet's reach. "There's no need to do anything rash!"

"Oh, I don't plan on it," Kaiba purred venomously as he grabbed Otogi and hauled him to his feet, a malicious smirk playing across his lips. "I'm trying to decide whether I should tear you apart, toss you from the roof of your shitty corporation, or just kill you outright."

"Come on, Seto…er, Kaiba-sama! How about a little compassion for a fellow businessman?" Otogi begged. "I'll do anything!"

The brunet's sapphire eyes grew even colder. "Where's that share transfer that's supposed to be going to Nomura?"

Emerald eyes flicked over to the desk. "It's in a folder over there, I swear it!"

Kaiba set his rival down and gave him a shove towards the desk. "Get it and show me." When the folder was thrust into his hands, he quickly scanned it, and then said, "Shred it."

The faintest trace of a scowl danced across Otogi's face before he nodded and complied with the brunet's request. "Well, now that that's settled, I'll just be on my way, then," he said casually, "Sorry for the inconvenience and all." He gave a nervous squeak when Kaiba once again grabbed him and yanked him towards him. "Hey, what about showing a little mercy and all that?"

Kaiba laughed outright at this, a dark, sinister laugh that made Otogi cringe. "You want mercy from me after everything you've cost me? Alright, Otogi. I'll show some mercy for your dog. For you, you deserve everything you get." He pushed Otogi down onto the vinyl sofa and strode over to where Honda still lay, hauling the groggy brunet to his feet. "No hard feelings, Honda," he whispered against the stockier man's throat, and then he quickly sank his fangs into the tender skin and drained him of his life while the raven-haired CEO looked on in horror. "Now for you," Kaiba chuckled as he returned to where Otogi sat cowering in terror on one of the cushions. "Get up," he snarled, and then wrapped his hand around his rival's throat.

"Seto, please stop," rasped a broken voice from the doorway. Mokuba was leaning exhaustedly against the jamb, his eyes full of tears. "I love him, and want to be with him." When the brunet ignored him, he turned his baleful eyes to Jou. "Please, Jou, make him stop!"

"Why should I?" Jou replied coolly, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the back of the other sofa. "This is what makes him happy."

A piteous sob escaped the teenager, and he quickly picked up the Browning Honda had held earlier. "Seto, stop, or I'll shoot myself!" he warned. "I can't live without him!"

"And I just can't be bothered to care, Mokuba," Kaiba replied icily, smirking cruelly as Otogi's eyes bulged from his head and his tongue lolled out of his mouth to the side. "You should have thought of that before you turned your back on me." He saw Otogi's eyes roll back in his head and felt his last, shuddering breath break across his fingers. Just as he released his grip on the body, he heard the shot ring out behind him. Turning to look, he saw the remnants of what had once been Kaiba Mokuba laying face down on the carpet, large pieces of brain and bone strewn out behind it in a wide, crimson arc, the spatter droplets forming a fine pattern like a delicate lace.

Kaiba looked over at Jou and, leaning against the edge of Otogi's desk he asked, "So what happens now? It's not like I can effectively run my company solely at night."

The blond approached him and pulled him into a comforting embrace, licking the last trace of Honda's blood from his lip. With a sultry purr, he said, "What happens now? Seto, we're together, and we can do anything we want to. You could sell KaibaCorp; I've got just as much money as you, if not more, thanks to my Father. We could travel; I've always wanted to see Europe."

"I don't know if I can just give it up like that, Jounouchi," Kaiba replied with a heavy sigh as he glanced once more at the lifeless body of his brother. "I've already lost a huge piece of my heart today. I don't know if I could stand to lose another."


	9. Chapter Nine

After what had happened at the Black Crown that night, both corporations were suffering from the repercussions. The news of Mokuba's death had hit the business community hard, and the downward slide that KaibaCorp stock had been suffering continued. While this slump was having a noticeable effect on the company, it was nothing compared to the chaos Black Crown was currently experiencing. With the death of its CEO, and no one competent ready to take the helm, the company floundered. And because of that, it was with relative ease that Kaiba Seto was able to capitalize on the situation and make Black Crown a subsidiary of KaibaCorp. Now, one short week later, Kaiba Seto stood on the dais in the largest conference room at KaibaCorp, and gazed out at the crowd of gathered media representatives. He cleared his throat and the room fell silent.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight. I wanted to address some of the rumours that have been circulating recently concerning KaibaCorp and Black Crown. As you are undoubtedly aware, both KaibaCorp and Black Crown have suffered some devastating losses as of late, which have affected stock prices across the board. However, now that things have calmed down and both companies have recovered, we anticipate a complete rebound before the next quarter. In addition, it is true that KaibaCorp has purchased Black Crown and we expect the transition to be smooth and effortless for the late Otogi-san's employees. By the end of the month, the merger will be complete and all Black Crown assets will fall under the KaibaCorp name." There was a ripple of excited chatter through the crowd, which was immediately silenced by one stern look from the brunet. 

"That said, I have one more announcement to make. With everything that has happened in the past while, I believe that now is the time for change. Effective immediately, I am resigning my position as CEO of KaibaCorp and turning full administrative control over to Mutou Yugi, who I, myself, hand picked for this role. His prowess in Duel Monsters and his intimate knowledge of the gaming industry makes him a very worthwhile candidate to lead KaibaCorp to its next stage of greatness." He held up a hand to silence the surprised whispers. "Understand that I am not leaving KaibaCorp completely. I will remain the company president, and will be staying on in an advisory capacity should Mutou-san require it. However, with my recent…personal losses, I believe it is in the best interest of the company that I step back from my duties. Perhaps, in time, I will resume my previous appointment, but for the present, I need to be away. If you have any questions, please direct them to Mutou-san." 

As Yugi took the podium, Kaiba stepped down and waited in the wings for Yugi to finish. As he listened to the Q&A, he had to admit, the diminutive man was quite adept at handling the press, and he did so with confidence, tact, and diplomacy. The brunet smiled. Once again, his decision had proven to be the correct one. He heard Yugi conclude the press conference, and when his former rival left the dais, he stepped forward. "Yugi, may I have a moment, please?"

The spike-haired man gave a startled gasp. He hadn't expected the other to be there. "Sure, Kaiba. What do you need?"

The brunet reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring of keys and handed them to Yugi. When he saw the shorter man's brow furrow in confusion, he said, "These are the keys to my estate and to my fleet of cars. As the CEO of KaibaCorp, you will require somewhere to live that befits your new station. No offence, but I think that entertaining clients and investors in your grandfather's game shop, while quaint, certainly doesn't portray the image we are trying to present. I will ensure that everything is taken care of; I just need you to run my household in my absence."

"But, what about you? Where are you going to go?"

Kaiba's smile widened. "I don't know, Yugi. For the first time in my life, I don't have a plan in place. I'm going to go wherever I feel I need to. And I'll never really be more than a phone call away should you need me. Good luck, Yugi. I know you'll be just fine." Chuckling softly at the incredulous look on the spike-haired man's face, he turned and went into the smaller side-office.

Jou was waiting there for him, and when he saw the brunet enter, he smiled and pulled him into a loving embrace. "Well, Seto?" he purred. "Is this finally it? Are you finally content?"

The brunet gave a small nod. "Yes, Jounouchi, I think I am."

"And are you sure you want to be with me?" When he saw Kaiba nod again, Jou gave a small, pleasured growl as he whispered in the brunet's ear, "Then let me love you like I've wanted to since I turned you."

Kaiba shivered involuntarily at the sultry words, and as a soft groan slipped from his lips, he pulled the blond tightly to him and kissed him deeply, his tongue roughly plundering every part of Jou's mouth. "Love me," he murmured, his eyes dark with need and desire.

The blond gave a surprised laugh at the boldness of Kaiba's kiss. "Mmm… now _that_ I can, and will, _gladly_ do." He nipped the brunet's lobe, and then ran his tongue around the shell of his ear, chuckling darkly at the small mewl that escaped Kaiba's lips. "But this needs to be done right. Get in the car, Beloved, and let's go home." Taking the brunet's hand, he led him out to his car and brought the engine to life. A low growl was barely audible over the roar of the motor as Jou grinned lecherously. It was going to be a _very_ good night. 

By the time Jou parked his car and unlocked the door to his cottage, he knew his self-restraint was at its breaking point. As far as his limited patience would allow, he waited for Kaiba to climb from the vehicle and join him in the front foyer before he pushed the brunet against the wall and began covering his throat with hungry kisses. Playfully, he allowed his fangs to graze lightly across Kaiba's jugular, chuckling at the pleasured shudder his action elicited. He could feel the teasing pulse against his lips, and he moaned softly, languorously licking the tantalizing flesh. "Seto, do you know what a blood bond is?" he asked, his voice rumbling against the smooth skin.

Kaiba looked uncertainly at the blond for a moment. "Mokuba used to make those with his friends when he was younger."

Jou chuckled. "No Seto; I'm not talking about pledging eternal friendship after we nick our thumbs with a razor blade and press them together." He gazed lovingly into the dark sapphire eyes before him and whispered, "A blood bond is one of the most intimate things we can share. It goes beyond the simple attachment that already exists between us." He took the brunet's hands in his and slowly led him into his bedroom, never breaking the heated gaze. "You drink from me as I drink from you, each of us becoming a permanent part of the other, enhancing our greatest strengths, diminishing our respective weaknesses." He shrugged out of his jacket, letting it crumple soundlessly to the floor, and then pushed Kaiba's trench coat off of his shoulders, letting it, too, fall to the ground. "Drinking from another like us is not permitted, except when consent is freely given." He casually pulled Kaiba over to the bed and gently pushed him down on to the mattress. "But when it is, it goes beyond love and ecstasy and want. You would do anything for the other, and in turn, he would do anything for you." He stretched out next to the brunet, propping himself up on one elbow and tracing random patterns on Kaiba's stomach with his free hand.

Jou thought about the blood bond that he had shared with Marduk. It had been strong, based on the unconditional love between a father and a son. But, the one he was offering to Seto transcended that. He was proposing a lover's bond. If accepted, they would no longer be fledgling and sire. They would be equals; two beings united not through necessity or obligation, but because of love and devotion to one another. "What do you say, Seto?" Jou purred, draping his one leg across the brunet's hip and thigh. "I free you from your commitments to me as my fledgling. Will you let me have you as my own to love forever?" The blond leaned forward and kissed along Kaiba's jaw, knowing that he was taking a huge risk with what he was suggesting. Once free from the control Jou exercised over him as his sire, it was conceivable that the brunet would choose to live on his own rather than with him.

"God, please, don't tease," Kaiba murmured, thrusting his hips upward, and groaning wantonly when he felt the blond's own hardness against his thigh. "You've been tormenting me for long enough with your light caresses and suggestive comments. Please…I love you, Jou. Don't make me wait any longer."

The last of Jou's resolve crumbled at the brunet's tender statement and sultry demand. "Oh fuck, Seto," he whispered. "You know, that's the first time you've said that to me since I turned you?" He leaned down and ravaged Kaiba's mouth savagely in a bruising kiss, and when he pulled away, his eyes were smouldering with desire. "I don't think I could wait a second longer if I wanted to." He shifted his position slightly so that he was straddling the brunet's hips, and then grabbed Kaiba by his shirt and pulled him into a sitting position, wrapping his legs around the other's waist as he settled onto the mattress between his thighs. "Come here, Seto," he murmured. "Hold me; I want to feel you touch me." Jou wrapped his arms around the brunet's neck, resting his head against the other's chest. 

Kaiba slid his hands around the blond's waist and pulled him tightly against his body, his eyes sliding closed as he nuzzled his cheek against the crook of Jou's neck. He breathed deeply, letting out a slow, tremulous breath as he smelled the faint citrus of the blond's cologne mixed with that of his skin. Hesitantly, he pressed his lips in a gentle kiss to the soft flesh of Jou's throat, moaning lowly when he felt the faint beat of a pulse. Kaiba's tongue flicked out and trailed lightly across the blond's Adam's apple, and he could feel himself beginning to salivate. He remembered the tiny taste he'd stolen the night he'd been created, and now, all he could think of was the sweetness that was Jounouchi. A low, hungry growl escaped his lips and he placed another kiss on the blond's throat, this time grazing his teeth across the delicate skin before giving a tiny nip.

"God yes, Seto," Jou murmured, shivering in anticipation. "Do it." He placed his own, small nip on the brunet's throat, and in a voice husky with desire, he echoed, "Do it, Beloved." 

The blond's sultry entreaty tore another wanton growl from Kaiba. Not needing to be asked again, he let his fangs scrape against Jou's neck, and when he plunged them deep into the blond's throat and tasted his first mouthful of the sweet, crimson fluid, the experience was near orgasmic. He heard the pained, yet pleasured roar from Jou, and he loosed his own delighted moan.

The blond chuckled softly, despite the discomfort he felt, and once Kaiba was completely enthralled in feeding from him, he returned the gesture, gently stroking his fingers through the auburn tresses when he heard the small whimper from the brunet.

As the two drank from each other, all barriers between them fell. No longer were there any hidden mysteries, no dark secrets to bury. No more would they be alone in their pain. And then, there was bliss; the pure and simple ecstasy that could only come through the blood bond. It was full of love and tenderness and it was, in a word, euphoric. In the surreal haze that engulfed them, nothing existed save for the two lovers entwined in an impassioned embrace; nothing mattered except for the eternal devotion each felt for the other.

Finally, Kaiba felt himself becoming aware of his surroundings once again. He winced slightly when the blond withdrew his fangs from his neck, and then he felt a firm, but gentle pressure on his chest as Jounouchi pushed him back from him. Sapphire eyes were wide in surprise as he stared at the blond across from him, a small trickle of Jou's blood running down his chin as his eyes welled up with tears. The whole experience had been raw and powerful, and even now, his heart swelled with love as he struggled to keep a handle on his raging emotions. "Jou, I –"

The blond smiled softly and tenderly pressed a finger to Kaiba's lips to silence him, his own eyes glistening as he stared at the brunet with unbridled devotion. He propped himself up on his knees, and as he captured Kaiba's lips in a loving kiss, he leaned his weight forward to ease them both down into a reclined position. Slowly, he laved the remnants of their embrace from the brunet's chin and then kissed away the tears that had gathered in the corners of Kaiba's eyes.

Jou let his hands trail up Kaiba's sides to ghost lightly across the flat planes of his abdomen. A sultry smirk played across the blond's lips as he began to languorously unfasten the buttons on the brunet's shirt. When the garment was undone, Jou pushed the soft material off to the side and let his fingers wander across the taut, pale flesh, his eyes darkening with lust as his thumb brushed against a pert nipple. A carnal growl rumbled low in his throat as he bent his head low, taking the tiny nub between his teeth and nipping the sensitive skin. He afforded the other bud a similar treatment, this time tearing an erotic groan from the brunet's lips. Chuckling deeply, he trailed his tongue across Kaiba's chest as he dragged his fingers harshly up the brunet's sides. This time, when Kaiba arched at his touch, Jou bit down into the soft skin just below his collarbone, hissing out a possessive, "Mine."

Kaiba purred in pleasure under the expert ministrations of Jounouchi. Every touch seemed to send a spark of excitement through his body, and it wasn't long before he was practically writhing under the blond's form. And, when he felt the heated sting from Jou's teeth on his flesh, he grabbed onto the blond's slim hips and thrust his groin upwards with a hungry moan. Watching through half-lidded eyes, Kaiba slipped his hands under Jou's t-shirt and pushed the soft cotton up, wanting to see and touch the gorgeous body without any barriers. He let his fingers skate over the firm musculature, letting his index finger trail down to the blond's waistband and slip casually inside to stroke across the baby-fine hair. When he heard the pleased mewl from Jou, he returned to the matter of Jou's shirt and he began gently, but persistently, tugging on the material.

Finally, Jou relented to the brunet's tenacious demand, and as he sat back on his haunches, he pulled the offending clothing over his head and tossed it carelessly to the floor. "Better?" he murmured, chuckling once again at the satisfied nod he received in return. "Good," he drawled, stretching out once more along Kaiba's form. Slowly, he began to rock his hips against the brunet's, giving an appreciative moan as he felt the other begin to move against him in a synchronous rhythm. He returned to suckling on Kaiba's throat, the pleasure inside him quickly rising. He permitted his hand to once again travel across the brunet's exquisite body, letting it slip low enough to palm Kaiba's arousal with firm, languid strokes.

"Oh God, Jou!" the brunet whimpered lowly as he thrust into the blond's hand while simultaneously fisting his hands in the flaxen tresses. He heard the dark chuckle, and when the pressure on his cock increased, Kaiba forced Jou's mouth to his, biting his own tongue and thrusting it past the blond's lips.

When Jou once again tasted the brunet's sweet, crimson elixir, he couldn't hold back the long, wanton moan as he eagerly lapped at the teasing muscle, greedily swallowing more of the freely offered blood. "Oh fuck, Seto," he growled as he tore his mouth away, staring with unrestrained lust into the equally hungry sapphire eyes. "I need you. I want you. _Now!_ " The blond slithered his body in between Kaiba's thighs, reaching up with trembling, needy fingers to unfasten his trousers and tug them down to his knees. "Fucking gorgeous," Jou breathed as he stared brazenly at the brunet's cock, leaning forward and engulfing the entire length in one easy motion before teasingly releasing it. "And delicious, too."

Kaiba's eyes slid closed and he swallowed harshly, trying to keep his body under control. But, when he felt Jou's lips on his shaft, he threw his head back and cried out at the intense sensation. "Jou, please…so close. Need you…" he panted, blindly reaching for the blond, wanting to feel his body pressed against his own.

At the brunet's keening plea, Jou quickly yanked Kaiba's pants the rest of the way off, and then eagerly divested himself of his own. He positioned himself between the brunet's legs, his cock teasingly circling the tight ring. Once again, he met the dark, sultry eyes, and with one quick snap of his hips, Jou had seated himself fully within Kaiba's channel.

The sensation could only be described as pure rapture as the brunet was filled with Jou's length. A primal roar slipped past his lips, and as he met the blazing amber gaze, a small, licentious smirk crept across Kaiba's features. "Complete me, Jou. Make me yours forever," he said huskily.

The blond growled, and then leaned forward onto his forearms and began to thrust hard, fast and deep into the willing body beneath him. Jou felt the brunet's hand slide between their bodies to stroke his cock in counterpoint to his rhythm, and knowing his own release was imminent, he captured Kaiba's lips in a heated kiss, purring sensually when he once again tasted the brunet's blood. He allowed the kiss to retreat into his own mouth, whereby he nipped his own tongue and offered himself in return to the other.

Kaiba groaned libidinously when he caught a sample of Jou's vitae, and he playfully coaxed the blond's tongue back into his own mouth so he could steal a bigger taste. The sensations flooding his body were intense and overwhelming, and as he tore his mouth away from Jou's with a pleasured cry, his body shuddered and he came hard and fast, the blond's name on his lips.

As soon as Jou felt the hot liquid between their bodies, he, too, reached his climax. Throwing his head back and closing his eyes, he dug his fingers into Kaiba's biceps, shouting a roar of ecstasy as he filled the brunet with his release, thrusting deep inside his lover with every spasm. Momentarily sated, his eyes slowly slid open and he smiled down at the equally contented brunet. "Jesus, that was fucking incredible," he breathed, leaning down to place a tender kiss on Kaiba's lips, suckling the bottom one into his mouth and giving it a playful nip. Carefully, he pulled out of his lover and rolled over onto his side, dipping his finger into the puddle of blood that had gathered from the brunet's release and languidly laving it from the digit. 

When the blond returned for a second helping, Kaiba grabbed his hand and sensually suckled the slender finger, a pleasured shudder rippling through his body at the taste. With a small chuckle, he looked at Jou and said, "Hn. Guess we should get cleaned up, ne? I mean, as a mortal, I didn't like lying in it. Now I seem to like it even less, even if it does taste good." 

The blond gave a small grimace and grinned as he nodded. He slid off the bed, waiting for Kaiba to join him before he led him to the bathroom. It was supposed to have been a quick shower, but when the brunet dropped to his knees and began to lick and suck at Jou's cock, it wasn't long before the blond once again found himself fully aroused and aching with need. He shuddered violently when the brunet playfully scraped his teeth against his length, and with a strangled cry, he willed himself to stave off his release. Swallowing harshly, Jou looked at the gorgeous form kneeling between his legs and he rasped, "Seto, get up."

As Kaiba reluctantly got to his feet, he looked at the blond and murmured, "Didn't you enjoy what I was doing?"

Jou chuckled softly before he aggressively plundered the other's mouth. "Fuck yes, I was enjoying it, but I want something more." Before the brunet could say anything further, Jou turned and leaned his hands against the shower wall, peering over his shoulder at his lover, a rakish smirk on his lips. "Your turn," he purred, spreading his legs further and giving his ass an inviting, little wiggle.

A long, low growl rumbled deep in the brunet's throat as he stepped up behind the blond, the tip of his cock pressing teasingly against Jou's crevasse. "Are you sure you want –"

Again, the blond pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. "We're equals now, Seto. It's all about give and take." He gave a sensual chuckle, and leaning back slightly, he said, "And I'm ready to take whatever you can give me."

There was another wanton growl from the brunet, and as he impaled Jounouchi with his massive shaft, he hissed out a satisfied, "Yes!" The rhythm Kaiba set was hard, fast and deep as he thrust into the blond in an impassioned frenzy. It wasn't long before he could feel himself nearing his climax, and he bent forward to whisper into his lover's ear. "I'm so close…but I want to see you finish first. Touch yourself; stroke yourself and imagine it's me…"

Jou moaned in pleasure at the sheer eroticism of Kaiba's words, and he dropped one hand to his cock and began to pump it feverishly, his slim fingers working the hard flesh with long, needy strokes. It didn't take long before Jou threw his head back and roared the brunet's name as he came with a shudder against the white tile.

As soon as Kaiba felt the blond's body tense, he grabbed the slim hips in front of him, and with one forceful thrust, he pulled Jou tight against his groin as he filled him with his release. Once he was spent, he slipped out of the blond, pulling the smaller man against his chest as they stood together under the spray. "Thank you," he murmured as he nuzzled playfully against Jou's neck.

"No, Seto, thank _you_ ," Jou replied, flashing him a brilliant grin that was very reminiscent of his mortal self. "You've made me happier than I've been in a long time. Now that my vendetta has been settled, you're safe, and you're with me, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my heart." He reached behind the brunet and shut off the water, quickly towelling off and heading for the bedroom. 

Kaiba hurriedly dried himself and rejoined the blond, quirking a curious eyebrow as he saw Jou getting dressed.

"Come on, Beloved. Get dressed; it's time to go."

"Go?" Kaiba queried as he slipped on his pants and shirt. "Are we going to hunt?" he asked, an eager look crossing his face as he began doing up his buttons.

"We're not just going to hunt, but to play," Jou replied, chuckling at the dubious look on the brunet's face. "Yes, Love, play. It's not all just sex and blood and hunting," he purred, picking Kaiba's trench coat up off the floor from where he'd let it fall earlier. "There's so much more to this life that I can show you, and there are so many things that we can teach each other. And we have an eternity to learn it all – together."

Within the hour, the pair was standing on the roof of the ten storey Ishikawa building, looking across at the KaibaCorp building and down on the city below them. Getting up there undetected had been a cake walk – a simple matter of jumping to the second story fire escape and then climbing the rest of the way up. They stood there in silence, hand in hand, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the brunet spoke. "I'm happy," he said simply, still looking out at the skyline.

Jou turned to the taller man. "What are you happy about, Seto?"

A smile curved across Kaiba's lips as he looked deep into Jou's eyes. "Everything, I think. This life, being with you, not having to worry about KaibaCorp…" He trailed off, an almost melancholy look on his face.

Jou returned the smile, his heart wrenching when he saw the darkness momentarily creep into his love's expression. He knew the brunet was still thinking about his brother, and despite Kaiba's adamant insistence over the past week that he had meant what he'd said that night, Mokuba's death still bothered him – though he felt no guilt over what had happened. The blond's thoughts drifted to Shizuka. He hadn't forgotten about her or what had happened, but now he found himself thinking about the events surrounding her death with a kind of reserved apathy. But then, that was how he viewed most of the events in his past life as of late. With the exception of Marduk, and now Seto, Jou hadn't been bothered to care about anyone in four years. He knew that, in time, the brunet would also begin to feel more indifferent to what had happened. Eventually, he would come to speak of his brother with no more emotion than one who was commenting on the weather or trying to decide what clothing to wear. And until such time he did, the blond was going to do everything in his power to speed up the process. "I'm glad," Jou replied, placing a tender kiss on Kaiba's lips.

"So what happens now?" the brunet asked, his question sounding eerily familiar.

"Well first, I'm going to give this to you. As the only member of my `family', it rightfully belongs to you, even if it was made for the wrong reasons." The blond reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the medallion he had taken from Thanatos, his finger lightly running around the dragon, and then he pressed it into Kaiba's hand. "I had to get a new chain for it; I was a little overeager when I got it." He gave a wry chuckle and watched as the brunet slipped the pendant over his neck, admiring the etching before he tucked it inside his shirt. "And now, I've found us a lovely meal. Tell me, Seto, do you feel like playing with our food?" 

The brunet gave him an intrigued smirk, and peering over the ledge, he could see three teenagers crouched in the alley, passing a joint back and forth between them. "What did you have in mind?"

With a wink, Jou climbed up on the ledge. "Oh, nothing special… I just thought I'd drop in on the boys and say hi. You coming?" Grinning mischievously, Kaiba joined him on the ledge, and, hand in hand, they jumped down.

To say the teens were startled was an understatement. And Kaiba, with sadistic glee, approached the group. "You know, that shit will kill you," he purred coolly, his fangs barred in a macabre smile as he drew nearer to them.

Behind him, Jounouchi snickered proudly. Hell yes, Kaiba was going to be just fine.


End file.
